Reform suspends Councillor Jo Monk after group decision row

Reform UK suspended councillor jo monk after she refused to accept the democratic decision of the party’s group, deepening a row over leadership at Worcestershire County Council. Monk is still formally leader of the council, but she no longer leads the Reform group.

The suspension follows an internal vote that removed her as group leader last month and replaced her with former Conservative MP Alan Amos. Reform UK is the largest group on Worcestershire County Council but does not have a majority, so the leadership change cannot take effect at the council level until Thursday’s next full meeting.

Alan Amos and the group vote

Monk lost a vote among the party’s councillors in April, before fellow councillors removed her as group leader last month. Amos said he wanted to “be the first to thank Jo Monk for the hard work she's done” after taking over the role.

That sequence leaves one formal position unchanged for now. Monk has been kicked out as group leader, but she remains the county council leader until Thursday, when Amos cannot take over before the next full meeting.

Worcestershire County Council numbers

The dispute comes after a difficult period for the authority. Council tax went up 9% during Monk’s time in office, and Worcestershire County Council needed £59.9m in emergency government help to avoid effective bankruptcy.

Ashley Monk, who is also a councillor and Monk’s son, criticised the decision and the new leader on social media after the election. He has also been suspended for reportedly bringing the party into disrepute, adding another layer to the dispute inside the group.

Monk told the she would not comment until Thursday’s council meeting, when the council leadership issue can be addressed at the full meeting. Until then, Reform UK’s internal decision has removed her from the group role without yet changing who holds the county council leadership title.