Ex-Reform councillors join Advance UK party

Two Devon County Council members who previously quit Reform UK have joined a new political party, Advance UK.

Ed Hill and Angie Nash were both elected in May 2025 but Hill was expelled from Reform in July and Nash quit the party in September.

Advance UK is led by former Reform UK deputy leader and Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib and says it "promotes and celebrates the nation's Christian constitution, roots, traditions, culture, and values", according to its website.

The leader of Reform UK on Devon County Council said he was "disappointed" by the move and Advance UK was "too extreme" for his members.

Hill, member for Pinhoe and Mincinglake, was thrown out of Reform UK for publishing a letter about free school meals in the name of all Reform UK Devon councillors without their consent.

He also reported colleagues to the police over claims of overspending on election expenses, which saw two Reform councillors and their agent go to the High Court to successfully clear their names.

Announcing his move to Advance UK, Hill said he had been expelled from Reform after attempting to uphold principles of "accountability, responsibility and honesty, including holding our own candidates to the same standards we expect of others".

He said: "Having reflected carefully on the culture and record of the other parties, I believe Advance UK is the political movement that will genuinely allow me to work by the values I campaigned on."

When she quit Reform, Nash, who represents Wonford and St Loyes, said staying in the party would "compromise my own principles".

She said Advance UK "supports structural reform without the toxic internal culture that exists elsewhere".

She said: "Advance UK offers a serious, professional and solutions-focused approach. I am no longer simply opposing what is wrong - I am helping to build something better."

Habib said his two newest recruits "exemplify the kind of public servants Advance UK exists to support - principled, serious people who want to represent their communities honestly and without fear".

In reaction to the announcement, Devon's Reform UK leader, Michael Fife-Cook, said of Advance UK: "It's far too extreme for people in Reform - most of us want to be in the middle ground."

He said he was "personally disappointed" but would not be calling for a by-election.

The Liberal Democrat leader of Devon County Council, Julian Brazil, said: "They are Devon County Council members and I hope they are working hard for the good of their communities and for the people of Devon."

The Liberal Democrats are the largest party on Devon County Council with 27 of the 60 seats.

Reform UK are the second largest party with 16 seats, while the Conservatives hold seven seats, the Greens have six, and there are two Independents.

The county council is due to be abolished - along with district councils - in a nationwide shake-up of local government.

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