Labour councillor defects to Reform UK, the first sitting Labour defection to the party in England

A Labour councillor in Stevenage has crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage's Reform UK, becoming the first sitting Labour elected official in England to move directly to the party, councillor and local officials said Wednesday.

Mason Humberstone, Stevenage Borough councillor for the Old Town ward, announced his decision on Twitter, saying Labour had "left" ordinary people and was "too often speaking for a metropolitan elite rather than the people they're meant to serve." Humberstone, in his mid-20s and Stevenage's youngest councillor, was first elected in 2023.

Humberstone told followers he had "battled with this decision for some time" and that he believed Reform UK would "put the British people and our great nation first." Local authority records show he attended 10 of the 33 council and committee meetings he was expected to attend in the past year, a turnout council leaders characterised as poor.

Labour's Stevenage council leader, Richard Henry, criticised the move, saying Humberstone had "jumped ship with no fair warning for personal and political gain" and that the party had made "every attempt, above and beyond what would be considered reasonable, to accommodate and mentor" him. Henry cited issues with Humberstone's attendance, punctuality and adherence to commitments.

Kevin Bonavia, the Labour MP for Stevenage, said he was "deeply disappointed" by the defection, described Reform UK as a party that "thrive[s] on fear and division," and urged Humberstone to resign and seek a fresh mandate at the ballot box. Bonavia said he would remain focused on local work despite what he called "political opportunism."

Humberstone has a history of local youth politics. In 2016, while a youth councillor, he told a local newspaper his political role model was former US president Barack Obama and listed mental health, gay rights and improving police-public relations among his priorities. In his statement this week, Humberstone said he entered politics to "serve with integrity and respect" and that he was proud to "be part of this team and ready to get to work."

Reform UK has attracted a number of former Conservatives and other figures in recent months. Earlier in the week, the party announced the defections of former Conservative shadow minister Danny Kruger and another former Tory, Maria Caulfield. Some former Labour politicians, including MP Lee Anderson and candidate Simon Danczuk, have been associated with Reform UK but left Labour prior to joining; a Scottish councillor, Jamie McGuire, defected from Scottish Labour to Reform earlier this year.

The local dispute highlights tensions as smaller parties seek to capitalise on disaffection with the major parties ahead of local and national contests. Labour officials pointed to Humberstone's low meeting attendance as a factor in their public response, while Humberstone framed his move as a matter of principle, saying Labour had lost sight of ordinary voters.

Stevenage council and Labour's local organisation have not announced any immediate changes to committee assignments or by-election plans tied to the defection. Humberstone did not say whether he would resign his seat to seek re-election under his new party label.

The move marks a symbolic milestone for Reform UK as it expands its presence in English local government, and adds to an ongoing series of defections and recruitments that the party says demonstrates growing support. Labour maintains that continued efforts to deliver local services and national policies remain the focus of its elected representatives.