The leader of Northumberland County Council’s Reform UK group has branded claims he attended a Tommy Robinson rally in London as “lies”.

Coun Rick Baker, who represents the Cowpen ward in Blyth, retorted that he was driving a bus in the town at the time after social media posts claimed he attended Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom Rally in September last year.

Nationally, Reform has sought to distance itself from the controversial activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Last year, Nigel Farage said Robinson was “not welcome” in the party.

In a video posted to his social media pages, Coun Baker said: “I’m addressing you because somebody out there has been trying to slander my good name. They have said some falsehoods about me – here they are.

“Number one, in September last year I attended the Unite the Kingdom Rally in London, attended by Tommy Robinson. Not true.

“I was 450 miles away here in Blyth driving a bus at the time, so that’s lie number one. Lie number two is a circulated photo that suggests a face in the background is me.

“Anyone who has seen a picture of me and has seen this picture can quite clearly see that it is not me. It’s just another lie.”

Coun Baker lists his occupation as a bus driver on his register of interests, which is published on the council’s website.

The group leader was also unhappy that the original post, which was shared by X account Reform UK Exposed, referenced his son – who hosts a podcast known as The Uncensored Patriots.

Coun Baker added: “They have decided to reference my son as well. A dirty, low trick that is beyond contempt for most people.

“My son is a citizen journalist. His views are his, my views are mine. Neither of the two shall clash.

“That is my rebuttal to this horrible, slanderous thing that has been done to me on social media.”

Coun Baker replaced the Croft ward’s Mark Peart at the head of the county council’s opposition group in May after the latter chose not to stand for re-election at the group’s AGM. Like all of his Reform colleagues, Coun Baker was elected for the first time in May 2025.