Reform UK’s Darren Grimes Seems to Have Forgotten Something on his Register of Interests – Charm

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Reform councillors appear to be missing out some fairly basic information from their public registers of interest.

In Reform-controlled Durham County Council, three of ten council cabinet members in Durham do not declare they are members of any political or professional organisations…including Reform UK. In addition, Adult and Health Services chief Cllr Howard Brown declares he is a paid official for the National Education Union but not a member of Reform.

The council’s Deputy Leader Darren Grimes, who rose to prominence during the EU referendum over £675,315.18 landing in his bank account as donations from Vote Leave (he was cleared of any wrongdoing), also does not list being a member of any political organisations.

That’s despite Grimes proudly declaring on X that he is a member of the right-wing Free Speech Union last August – and of course, being a member of Reform.

The interest form, a legal requirement for local authorities, asks councillors to declare: “I am a member…of the following body/ies, one of whose principal purposes include the influence of public opinion or policy (including any political party).”

Byline Times asked Darren Grimes if any memberships were missing – and if so, was this an oversight. We have not received a response.

In Warwickshire, 18-year-old Reform councillor George Finch has become council leader after the Reform leader of just six weeks stood down over “ill health”.

Cllr Finch is listed as an online tutor with the company ‘Superprof’, charging £15 an hour for his education services. “I’m 18 turning 19, I have just finished A-Level and I know what you need to pass your exams, the Knowledge is [sic] the most important area of A-Level or GCSE’s.”

“[I] specialise in Tudor History, Cold War, USA politics, UK politics and many other areas in history too,” the profile adds.

The work is not listed on his council declaration of interests. It is possible he hasn’t earned any money from it. If he has however, he may have broken the rules on failing to declare financial interests. (This outlet put the tutoring questions to Cllr Finch but has not yet received a reply).

Byline Times understands that Cllr Finch plans – or had planned – to return to university in the East Midlands in September for his second year of studies.

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Meanwhile, Byline Times can reveal that the council have rejected a complaint against Cllr Darren Grimes over a ‘joke’ he made on Facebook at the weekend (22nd June) about grooming gangs. The post said: “Hey it’s humid, mind. I’m sweating like a Labour-ran council in a rape gang inquiry.”

One local voter who complained about the comments, Andy P, told Byline Times: “Using victims of sexual abuse like Grimes did bother[s] me, and it would regardless of whatever party such an individual represented. He represents Durham County Council and his sick ‘joke’ casts a bad light on both the local authority and local area.”

The council responded to the complaint, quickly rejecting it: “[The post] was apparently made under the name “Darren Grimes” rather than “Councillor Darren Grimes”, and..the post makes no reference to him being a Durham County Councillor.

“We also note that there is no reference to Durham or to Durham County Council. For these reasons, we do not think a reasonable member of the public who read this post would have assumed that Cllr Grimes was acting on County Council business or would have received the impression that he was acting as a County Councillor…

EXCLUSIVE

Nigel Farage’s band of newly-elected councillors are already starting to struggle, reports Josiah Mortimer

Josiah Mortimer

“We think it is more likely that a reasonable member of the public would regard this post as being a general, political comment, rather than having anything to do with County Council business.

“Therefore, we have concluded that the Member Code of Conduct does not appear to be engaged, and the Monitoring Officer is unable to take any further action in relation to your complaint.”

However, the council claimed that the complaint related to a post on X, when it was in fact made on Facebook, suggesting they hadn’t investigated it particularly thoroughly.

Grimes also recently posted a video claiming he feared he would be suspended for refusing to attend ‘DEI’ (an American term for ‘Diversity, Equality and Inclusion’ and Climate Change training as part of his induction to the council.

Such training is voluntary – and Reform councillors dominate the standards committee which would oversee and rule on any potential suspension. Byline Times asked the council whether Grimes’ claims were true, and did not receive a reply.

Meanwhile, Cabinet member and Reform councillor Nicola Lyons’ register of interests was published a day after Byline Times asked the council why it had not appeared online, long after a 28 day legal deadline after the election.

A council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Councillor Lyons has submitted her register of interests, and the information has now been published online.” The spokesperson added that it had been submitted within the legal deadline.

With thanks to readers and council staff for story tips. Keep them coming. Do you live in a Reform-run council area? Get in touch in confidence on josiah@bylinetimes.com