Councillor resigns amid Reform UK ‘thuggish’ intimidation claims

During Portsmouth City Council’s full meeting last week, councillors Lee Tindall and Emily Strudwick defected from the Portsmouth Independent Party (PIP) to Reform UK.

The licensing chair, previously held by Cllr Strudwick, had to be reappointed due to the change in proportionality. Cllr Benedict Swann was appointed after Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative members voted for him.

Now, just five days after his appointment, he has resigned, citing a “curated social media pile on” and “libelous, defamatory, intimidatory literature, full of innuendo and misrepresentations, being delivered to the residents of my ward”.

The leaflets, Cllr Swann claims, were delivered by Reform UK despite being “promoted” by PIP.

The leaflets in question are designed as a fake newspaper article, featuring the headline “rarely seen cllr stabs colleague in the back”.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service can confirm that councillor George Madgwick, Emily Strudwick’s partner, designed the leaflet, wholly or partly.

The leaflet suggests that Cllr Swann’s appointment was an attempt to block Cllr Strudwick’s upcoming report on risks posed by out-of-town taxi operators to women and other vulnerable groups.

It then questions “why Lab/Lib/Cons would team up to remove the chair so close” to the intended publication of the report, suggesting the move was deliberately timed.

Councillor Swann has demonstrated commitment to addressing concerns about Wolverhampton’s licensed taxis, going so far as to propose lobbying the national government on the matter.

The literature goes on to claim that Cllr Swann prioritises his career and has “sold his soul” to the Lib Dems and Labour.

The reverse of the leaflet adds that residents voted for Cllr Swann “as a conservative yet he joined up with liberals and labour recently”, despite the leaflet being promoted by PIP, a party no longer represented on the council after all members defected to Reform UK.

In an email to the council’s chief executive, Cllr Swann said he was “humbled” that other members voted for him across the political spectrum “even though many of us disagree on a great many things”.

“When we stand for election, we do so on the understanding that people will disagree with us, debate with us, and hold us to account for our actions and words. However, we absolutely do not take on this responsibility on behalf of our families.

“The fact that my family have had to see some of the blatantly hateful vitriol aimed at me and be upset and hurt at the lies and hate is frankly unacceptable and unconscionable.”

He went on to describe the difficulty of being a councillor with a diagnosed anxiety disorder, sharing that talking in a full council meeting can be “incredibly difficult if not terrifying”.

He added that he cannot fulfil the role as chairman “without carrying the heavy burden of anxiety and feeling like I constantly have to look over my shoulder”.

He added: “Although I willingly step away from this role, it is with assuredness that I have done nothing wrong, but I cannot, and will not permit the thuggish evil behaviour I have been subjected to over the past few days distract from the work that needs doing to keep delivering for the residents of Copnor and Anchorage Park, nor will I deny them democratically elected representation by being bullied into resigning as a Councillor.

“If this is the ‘change’ that is coming, it is most assuredly carried on the back of hate, dishonesty, and envy, and if that is truly the direction of travel then God help our great city and her residents.”

Commenting on his social media post, the leader of the council, Cllr Steve Pitt agreed that the “bullying and intimidation we have seen cannot be allowed to become acceptable”.

The Portsmouth Reform UK group were approached for comment.