Overview
- Glenn Gibbins won a seat for Hylton Castle Ward in May and was suspended by Reform UK after reports of his past social media posts led him to sit as an independent.
- In March 2024 Gibbins posted a racist message saying Nigerians “should melt them all down and fill in the pot holes,” and also made misogynistic comments about women on TV; those posts were later deleted after being flagged by Hope Not Hate.
- Reform UK confirmed on Thursday that it has completed an internal disciplinary process, readmitted Gibbins to the party and issued him a final written warning while saying he has apologised and accepted the posts showed poor judgement.
- The reinstatement drew sharp criticism from opposition figures including Labour chair Anna Turley, who urged party leadership to reverse the decision and said the move damaged Reform UK’s reputation.
- Campaign groups and national outlets have kept attention on the case as a test of Reform UK’s standards on racism and misogyny, and the party now faces scrutiny over its vetting rules and potential local political fallout.