Stuart Prior
Former Reform UK councillor; elected to Essex CC and Rochford on 7 May 2026, expelled and resigned both seats within four days after racist posts surfaced.
Last refreshed: 14 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Stuart Prior
Expelled and resigned both seats within four days over racist and Islamophobic social media posts
UK Local Elections 2026: Seven Reform exits in seven daysMentioned in: Essex Reform elects Harris, AGM 28 May
UK Local Elections 2026- Why was Stuart Prior expelled from Reform UK?
- Stuart Prior was expelled by Reform UK after racist and Islamophobic social-media posts were exposed following his election to Essex County Council and Rochford District Council on 7 May 2026. He resigned both council seats within four days of being elected.Source: Left Foot Forward / London Economic
Background
Stuart Prior was elected as a Reform UK councillor to both Essex County Council and Rochford District Council on 7 May 2026. Within four days, racist and Islamophobic social-media posts attributed to him were exposed; Reform UK expelled him from the party and he resigned both council seats — a rare double departure. His case was the most prominent of at least seven Reform councillor departures in the first week after the May elections, a rate of attrition faster than the projected 200-per-year figure cited by analysts ahead of polling day.
