Key facts
- Farage said he had no idea why the arrested councillor was still in his role nearly 10 months later.
- George Madgwick, Reform's Hampshire county council leader, faces 35 charges including 12 allegations of rape and says he is innocent.
- Reform UK said it was unaware of a rape charge against Ryan Dinnage, a member of Farage's security team, who was later convicted and jailed.
- Glenn Gibbins, a suspended Reform councillor on Sunderland city council, is due in court charged over grossly offensive social media posts about Nigerians; he denies the charge.
- Vetting was brought in-house and is now run by deputy chair Paul Nuttall, the party's former Ukip leader.
- A Conservative official said Reform relies more on judgment calls than on rejecting candidates over undisclosed comments.
Nigel Farage, speaking to reporters after unveiling his new defence spokesperson on November 7, 2026, was asked why a Reform UK councillor arrested in January over multiple alleged sexual offences was still in his role nearly 10 months later. "I have no idea," Farage replied. "I was told yesterday, and I wasn't very happy." He also questioned why wrongdoing in other parties received less coverage.
The charges against George Madgwick, who was Reform's leader on Hampshire county council, numbered 35, including 12 allegations of rape. Madgwick has said he is innocent.
Little more than a week before, it emerged that Ryan Dinnage, a member of Farage's security team who was with him during the local elections campaign, had been facing a rape charge at the time and was later convicted and jailed. Reform UK said it was unaware of the charge and that Dinnage "ceased to be used" by the party when it came to light.
Glenn Gibbins, a now suspended Reform councillor on Sunderland city council, is due in court on a charge of making "grossly offensive" social media posts about Nigerians. Gibbins denies the charge.
Reform has also been called on to disown candidates over previous offensive or prejudiced comments. Robert Kenyon, whom Reform had hoped would block Andy Burnham's return to the Commons in June's Makerfield byelection, was dropped after comments were unearthed, including one endorsing a lewd remark about the TV presenter Carol Vorderman.
Vetting was brought in-house after Farage blamed an external company before the 2024 election. It is now run by Paul Nuttall, the party's deputy chair, who spent a brief period a decade ago as leader of Ukip. The party is tight-lipped about how vetting works, though members were told last year the aim was a "commonsense" system balancing reputation and individual freedom. A Conservative official with knowledge of Reform's approach said there was heavy reliance on candidates being open about their past, and that with Reform "it seems to be more of a judgment call."