Lower Teesdale councillor leaves Reform

A County Durham councillor has resigned from Reform UK to become an Independent. 

Jasmine Fox, of Lower Teesdale ward, is not aligned to any political group after leaving the party in recent weeks. 

She was elected in May 2025 alongside Reform’s Jill Campbell to represent the ward for the first time and was previously chair of the council’s south and west planning committee. 

Cllr Fox said: “I have decided that serving as an Independent councillor is the best way for me to represent the residents who elected me and to ensure that the voices and priorities I hear across the division remain at the heart of my decision-making.

“I believe this decision will allow me to focus entirely on those priorities, make decisions independently, and act according to my judgement and the interests of the residents I was elected to serve. 

“My commitment remains exactly as it was when I stood for election: to work hard, listen to local people and do my best to deliver positive outcomes for communities across Lower Teesdale.”

Andrew Husband, council leader, said the party respected Cllr Fox’s decision and would welcome her back in the future.  

Cllr Fox is also listed as an Independent member of Bishop Auckland Town Council, representing the town centre. 

She is the 10th Reform councillor to have left the party since the local election last year. 

The Lower Teesdale county councillor added: “I am grateful to everyone who has supported me, and to the residents of Lower Teesdale who have given me the opportunity to serve as their councillor. 

“I am continuing to work on a number of local projects and initiatives that I hope will bring lasting benefits to residents, and I look forward to sharing more about those in the months ahead.”

“I will continue to work constructively with councillors of all political backgrounds whenever it benefits the communities I represent.” 

Reform is now represented by 56 councillors after initially winning 65 seats at the local election in May 2025.   

The council is also made up of 18 Independents, 15 Liberal Democrats, five Labour, two Greens, and one Advance UK. 

Cllr Husband added: “Reform councillors, it seems, have the hardest job in local government and it is quite an adjustment when elected with unfair levels of scrutiny and criticism, which is not experienced by other smaller parties. 

“After one year in, for some it may feel like a change of job or a change of scenery is required; we all have commitments in our lives which sometimes have to be prioritised.  

“The good news is she shares Reform’s values.”

Cllr Fox recently came under scrutiny for “underspending” her neighbourhood budget.

County councillors are given a capital budget of £14,000 to award to community projects, and a further revenue budget of £5,400 for local groups, during their four-year term in office.

However, at the time, Cllr Fox had not given out any of her capital budget and only £245 of her revenue budget had been awarded.

A further £147 of the revenue budget had been allocated to a pending project.