A County Durham councillor has left Reform UK after being suspended by the party, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.
Councillor Paul Bean now represents the Crook ward as an Independent following a disciplinary process.
Reform UK suspended Cllr Bean in August amid criticism of alleged social media posts criticising asylum seekers and the party. Campaigners said his comments may have breached civil service impartiality rules due to his day job at the Home Office.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands Cllr Bean was expelled from the party in September and is no longer listed as representing Reform UK on the Durham County Council website.
Writing under the username @dylanandmolly3739, Cllr Bean is alleged to have posted: “97% of asylum seekers are lying about persecution in their home countries and the other 3% have been credible to the point of being believable. Source: me. Guess what job I do.”
The newly-elected councillor declared his employment as a civil servant for the Home Office – the government department that processes asylum and immigration claims – in the council’s register of interests.
Another post read: “I work as an Asylum Decision Maker for the [Home Office] and I can tell you with authority that 93% of asylum seekers to the UK are men between 18-35 and 92% of them are refused asylum.
“The truth is the vast majority of asylum seekers are actually economic migrants abusing the asylum system.”
The civil service code states that employees must not “allow your personal political views to determine any advice you give or your actions.”
Another series of posts, allegedly written by an account owned by Cllr Bean, discussed leaving Reform UK and joining Advance UK, a party set up by former Reform deputy chairman Ben Habib.
“Vote Reform and you get clueless nobodies,” one post read. Another added: “Reform are amateur and inexperienced. This country’s f*****.”
Cllr Bean was contacted for comment but did not respond.
Bill Edgar
Reporter for the Local Democracy Reporter Service.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
