A Reform UK councillor has been suspended from his party following his involvement in a private WhatsApp group. The group's communications reportedly included members advocating for "mass Islam genocide" and making violent remarks about political figures. Councillor Tom Pickup, the suspended individual, is also alleged to have used inflammatory language directed at a government minister and the prime minister, and to have expressed agreement with "mass deportations."
Pickup has acknowledged his membership in the group but stated that his messages were "twisted out of context," describing one controversial comment as a "jokey comment" that demonstrated "poor judgment." He explicitly denied supporting calls for "mass Islam genocide." A Labour councillor has reported Pickup to the local authority's standards watchdog, and he now sits as an independent councillor on Lancashire county council.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/nov/19/reform-uk-councillor-suspended-over-whatsapp-group-featuring-extremist-posts