Councillor breaks Reform's membership rules

Paul Taylor, elected as a Reform UK councillor in May, is also the leader of the Northern Heart party. Reform's rules state membership is not open to current members of other GB-registered political parties.

“is not open to current members of other GB-registered political parties”

Northern Heart ran candidates in recent elections

The Electoral Commission names Taylor as leader of Northern Heart, which was founded in 2020 and ran candidates as recently as the local elections. Taylor stood for the party in four previous local elections.

Taylor won 1,459 votes as Reform candidate

Taylor was elected in May as a Reform candidate in the Waterhead ward, winning one thousand four hundred fifty-nine votes. He had previously stood for Northern Heart in two thousand twenty-four, receiving just ninety-three votes.

Taylor explains his switch to Reform

Taylor told The Independent he decided to stand as a Reform councillor after the independent movement in Oldham was decimated by independent groups that betrayed the electorate's trust once elected.

“decimated by independent groups that once elected, then went on to betray the trust of the electorate”

Reform says membership was an oversight

Reform UK told The Independent that Taylor's membership was an oversight on his part and he is in the process of resigning from Northern Heart. Taylor said Reform had been aware of his position.

“His membership was an oversight on his part”

Taylor's wife also stood for Northern Heart

Anne Taylor, listed as treasurer of Northern Heart, stood for the party in the same Oldham local election but lost.She has run for Northern Heart five times.