Reform councillor in Northumberland quits to sit as Independent
A key member of the Reform’s opposition group in Northumberland has quit the party and will sit as an Independent.
Shadow cabinet member Trevor Austin said his workload as a councillor coupled with supporting people whose views “did not align with his own” had led him to leave the party.
In a statement published on social media, the Bedlington East councillor said: “The workload associated with being a Reform UK member, county and town councillor, shadow cabinet member and serving on various committees has become more than I can reasonably manage.
"Alongside these responsibilities, there has been the additional strain of internal local party politics and the personal difficulty of finding myself supporting people whose views, methods and approach do not always align with my own.
“The cumulative effect has taken its toll. My family, social and personal life have suffered as has my physical health.
“Quite simply, there are not enough hours in the day to do everything properly, and I cannot continue working in this way. I have a responsibility not only to myself and my family, but also to the residents who elected me.
“I need to make some changes to protect my well-being and ensure I can continue to serve Bedlington effectively. After considerable thought, I have therefore decided to leave Reform UK.
“I want to be absolutely clear, however, that I have not walked away from the commitment I made to the people of Bedlington. I was elected to represent you as both a county and town councillor, and that is a responsibility I intend to honour.
“I will continue in both roles until the end of my term of office and will ensure a proper handover to whoever is elected to succeed me, just as Rebecca Wilczek so graciously did when I took over.
"In terms of my political outlook, I remain broadly aligned with Reform UK’s principles and values, although there are aspects of its national policies with which I disagree, and occasions when I have had to put my personal reservations to one side.
“I am still the same person you voted for with the same commitment to Bedlington and its residents. My decision to leave the party does not change that.”
Cllr Austin won the Bedlington East seat at the 2025 local election, ousting incumbent Rebecca Wilczek by more than 230 votes as Reform became the county’s second-largest party. Reform won 23 seats on the night to become the official opposition, but that figure has since fallen to 17.
A Reform UK Northumberland spokesman said: “We thank Trevor for his service to the party and for the work he has done on behalf of residents in his ward. He has been a committed colleague, and his contribution is appreciated by everyone he has worked alongside locally.
“This has been a decision he has reached after careful thought, and we respect it. We wish him well in whatever he chooses to do next, and we hope to continue working with him on the issues that matter to people across Northumberland.
“Our focus as a party remains unchanged: standing up for Northumberland’s communities and holding the council to account on the things residents care about most.”