A Devon councillor has been expelled from a second political party as a dispute over the reasons and process erupts.
ouncillor Ed Hill (Pinhoe & Mincinglake) was only elected last year but has now been ejected from Advance UK having joined that party after being expelled from Reform UK, whom he stood for in last May’s county elections.
Cllr Hill, now an independent member, said he was informed this week that the party whip had been removed from him and that he had been expelled from Advance UK.
Fellow councillor Angela Nash (Wonford & St Loyes), who left Reform UK after Ed Hill was removed, and joined Advance UK alongside him, has now opted to become an independent too.
Cllr Hill, a former Royal Marine, said he “rejects both the basis and the process behind that decision”, but the party has stated Cllr Hill’s claims that he was removed for supporting grooming gang victims was “categorically incorrect”.
“No proper disciplinary procedure appears to have been followed,” Cllr Hill told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“I was not provided with formal allegations, evidence, a hearing, or any meaningful opportunity to respond before action was taken against me, despite the procedures set out within Advance UK’s own handbook.
“The immediate events leading up to my expulsion centred around my decision to stand up for a grooming gang victim and for a councillor who was supporting her.”
Cllr Hill added that a councillor in the party was “effectively no-platformed” by head office” and that he would make “absolutely no apology for standing up for vulnerable people”.
He said he had cited to the party specific sections in its rules that he believed had not been adhered to in relation to his expulsion and highlighted that the party’s handbook supports freedom of speech and that “robust lawful expressions of opinion on matters of public interest are not grounds for sanction”.
But Richard Thomson, the national director for Advance UK, said while he could not comment in detail on the matter, he stated that Cllr Hill’s claim that his removal was linked to supporting grooming gang victims was “categorically incorrect”.
“Mr Hill was not involved in supporting grooming gang survivors,” Mr Thomson said.
“Advance UK takes the issue of grooming gangs and violence against women and girls extremely seriously.
“Supporting survivors and pursuing meaningful action in this area is one of the reasons we have developed and published specific policy proposals addressing these issues.
“Mr Hill’s removal followed a period of longstanding concerns relating to conduct and internal matters, all of which were considered through the appropriate party procedures. The correct processes were followed throughout.”
Mr Thomson said he wished Cllr Hill “the best for the future”.
Cllr Hill stated that if his removal was not for the reasons he claims, then he does not know why he was removed.
The party has requested all “party property, assets and digital assets are returned”.
Cllr Hill was previously expelled from Reform UK after releasing a letter to local politicians and media that he claimed had been co-signed by his Reform UK colleagues on Devon County Council.
He stated at the time that he genuinely believed he had received permission to use his colleagues’ names, but the party disputed that and ejected him.
Advance UK is led by former Reform UK deputy leader and Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib.
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