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Former Reform councillor admits leaked 'hardline' posts are genuine
Lancashire Evening Post
|November 21, 2025
A senior Reform UK county councillor has been suspended from the party after leaked messages he sent on WhatsApp suggested Reform was more “hardline” on immigration than it publicly claimed.
Coun Tom Pickup (inset) has been suspended by Reform UK at County Hall
Tom Pickup - lead member for finance and resources at Lancashire County Council (LCC) - told the Post he accepts the messages are genuine and says his suspension was “the right thing to do”.
However, he added that he “look[s] forward to the facts coming out” during an investigation that has now been launched by the party.
His messages were published by the X account Reform Party UK Exposed, which claimed the posts were made in what it describes as a “far-right WhatsApp group”.
LCC said Coun Pickup remains on the authority, where he represents the Padiham and Burnley West division, but is now sitting as an independent.
This story is from the November 21, 2025 edition of Lancashire Evening Post.
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