Reform UK denies it has already chosen its county council leader

BUT SOME SAY 'INVALID' DECISION HAS INDEED BEEN MADE

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

REFORM UK has defended how long it is taking to decide who will lead Nottinghamshire County Council, saying it is carrying out “due diligence”.

The party has also denied that Reform councillors have already chosen Mansfield’s Councillor Mick Barton to lead it and the authority.

Nigel Farage’s party won 40 seats in the county council election a week ago, far more than the 34 it needed wrest control of the authority from the Tories.

It means the group of 40 mainly new councillors now has to decide who should lead the group and the council.

Dr John Doddy, the only Reform councillor on the authority before the election, initially told the media that the party would pick a leader within two days.

The national party also initially told the Post that the leaders of all Reform councils would be announced by Monday.

The Post was told over the weekend by multiple sources that Councillor Barton had been chosen to lead the council.

But this was denied by Reform and Councillor Barton when they were both contacted on Monday.

And Dr Doddy joined them in saying there was no meeting over the weekend.