Exclusive:Ousted Sheffield Reform councillor brands party "sleazy" and "unprofessional"
“They are disorganised - they are the most unprofessional outfit I have ever known”
Reform UK has been branded “sleazy” and “unprofessional” by a Sheffield councillor who was removed from the party this week.
Firth Park councillor Robert Hanson spoke out after the party removed him yesterday (August 20), claiming he was not a paid-up member and had refused requests to join and pay his membership fee.
Coun Hanson has said that his experience as a Reform councillor has tainted his view of the Nigel Farage-led party, adding: “I wouldn’t advocate anybody voting for Reform.
“They discriminate against disabled people, which is obvious with me and what they’ve come out with in their new policies.
“They are disorganised - they are the most unprofessional outfit I have ever known.”
Coun Hanson won his seat in the May 7 local election, admitting that he was a ‘paper candidate’ who put his name forward to help his wife, Kim, who was chair of the Reform Sheffield East Branch - which existed at the time.
There is now just one branch which covers the whole of Sheffield.
He was not a member of Reform UK party when he put his name forward as a potential candidate, but said the party knew that and allowed him to run anyway.
However, he claims that last week - close to four months after the election - national leadership took issue with this, calling on him to pay a £25 membership fee or face being kicked out of the party.
He refused the offer and on Thursday (August 20) was removed from Reform UK.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Coun Robert Hanson has had the Reform whip removed after it was discovered that he was not a party member.
“Despite being given repeated opportunities to join the party by email and telephone, he refused to do so.”
Coun Hanson intends to remain as a Firth Park councillor as an independent, even though he never expected to win his seat.
“When I got in I thought ‘right I’ll give it my best shot,’” he added.
“I’ll work for the people, not work politically, I’ll work for the people.”
He claims that throughout the election process he was “never vetted” by the Reform, adding: “They didn’t know who I was.”
Coun Hanson, who is blind, has now accused the local branch of the party of discrimination.
“They saw me as somebody who was a liability who needs looking after,” he said of local leadership at Reform’s Sheffield branch.
“They (Sheffield Reform) are misogynistic and unprofessional - they called everybody (all the other parties) sleazy before, but they’re sleazy.”
He claims the party refused to accommodate for his blindness, with members sitting him at the back during meetings, acting disrespectfully towards Kim - who also serves as his carer and PA - leaving her feeling unable to attend party meetings to assist him, and kept him out of discussions ahead of council votes.
The problems with his personal assistants continued until he had no one willing to take him to meetings anymore, he said.
He said he tried to organise meetings with Coun John Hesketh, head of the city's councillors group, to address this, but claims he was always turned down.
He claims on one occasion the two met in the street and Coun Hesketh “completely ignored” him.
However, he has praised Sheffield Council for its support, saying: “I cannot moan about them, they’ve looked after me.”
He also praised his fellow ward councillors Abdul Khayum and Fran Belbin, describing them as “supportive” and adding: “I have more in common with them than I do my own party - that should not be.”
He now hopes to work more closely with Shirecliffe and Brightside councillor Mick Lee, who left Reform a week after the election.
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“I’m disappointed, I really am. I’m disappointed it’s ending like this with Reform,” he said.
“I’ll still be a councillor, I’ll still go out and do my job, but I don’t want to feel like this.
“I want to feel good about it, I want to shout about it from the rooftops.”
Reform UK has been approached for comment.