Ex-Reform leader faces council racism claim probe

A Reform councillor who resigned just days after being appointed Staffordshire group leader is being investigated over racism allegations.

Confidential emails, seen by the BBC, show Staffordshire County Council has referred at least one complaint, over claims councillor Chris Large, who was a cabinet member, wrote or endorsed racist comments on his TikTok account.

An Independent Investigating Officer is conducting a "further investigation", because of the "complexity of the matter and the serious nature" of allegations made, the council said.

Large denied and condemned the comments, saying the account was hacked, and there had been "unknown logins... and the account was deleted".

He stepped down last week, explaining that a family bereavement had led to the decision to quit as new leader and from his cabinet position for finance.

It came after he oversaw the setting of Staffordshire County Council's £840.8m council budget for 2026-27.

Large had been due to replace councillor Ian Cooper, who resigned in December under a cloud of racism allegations. Cooper has not denied the claims.

In the announcement that Large was set to be the next leader in Staffordshire, the party said he had been a "chief executive in the finance and banking industry for more than 30 years" and that he had lived in the county for 35 years.

According to Companies House's website, Large is listed as being the director of 12 companies in the last 20 years, all of which are stated as dissolved.

Each company also lists his country of residence as France.

Large told the BBC the dissolved companies relate to his role as a transformation and change person, meaning he turned around businesses.

He said "from some of the closed business we birthed many new ones".

In response to the news Large had stepped down, the Conservative leader of the opposition, Philip White, said Large had "our sympathies for his family situation".

"[But] we cannot pretend that his appointment as leader of the council would have been a good thing for Staffordshire. Coucillor Large is at the heart of the racism scandal that brought down Ian Cooper's leadership," he said.

"Staffordshire needs stability after this revolving door with three leaders in nine months, so we hope Reform can find at least one councillor from their ranks who is up to the job."

Last week Martin Murray, acting leader of the county council, had thanked Large "personally" for his work.

"I'd like to... offer my wholehearted support to his decision. Family must come first," Murray added.

In reference to the complaints about Large's social media activity, Reform UK told the BBC the party would not be taking any action against him in the matter.

A new cabinet member for finance, and elected leader for the Reform group are yet to be appointed.

A council spokesperson said: "Where there is a concern raised about the conduct of any elected Member, it will be considered in line with the council's Standards Complaints process and our Code of Conduct."

Meanwhile, members are due to meet and vote on the proposed budget, including a council tax increase of 3.99%, on 12 February.

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