Reform Drops Local Elections Candidate After They Plead Guilty To Fraud
1 min read
Reform UK has dropped a candidate for the May local elections after they pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud.
It comes on the same day that Reform chairman Zia Yusuf announced that the party would stand councillors in all 1,641 seats at the local elections in May.
Dan Turner, who had been the Reform candidate for Louth North in Lincolnshire County Council, appeared in Boston Magistrates Court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud.
The first count was fraud by false representation and the second was fraud by abuse of position.
Both counts were related to his position at the Meridale Community Centre in Meridale Youth & Community Centre in Lincolnshire.
Turner has now been committed to Lincoln Crown Court for sentencing. A date has not yet been set. He has been granted unconditional bail until that date.
A Reform UK spokesman told PoliticsHome: “Mr Turner will not be standing for us. He is no longer a Reform UK candidate.”
The Reform chair of the local branch posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter: "Last Friday our candidate for Louth North stood down pending a court appearance.
"Today Dan Turner pleaded guilty to fraud at magistrates court, Dan has stood back from Reform activities. My view was innocent until proven guilty.
"We have a great replacement, who we will announce later this week."
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