Reform councillor suspended over alleged threats to prime minister, BBC reports

A Reform UK councillor on Northumberland County Council has been suspended pending an investigation into online comments allegedly threatening to kill the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, the party said Tuesday.

John Allen, who represents the Hirst ward, was elected to the council in May. He serves on the county emergency committee, the licensing committee and the Ashington & Blyth Community Partnership, and he sits on the Northumbria Police and Crime Panel.

The comments appeared on a YouTube account under the username @johnallen7807 and reportedly stated that Allen would shoot Starmer if given the chance. The posts were reportedly brought to light by the campaign group Hope Not Hate, though the BBC has not verified that the account belongs to Allen. He has been contacted for comment.

A Reform UK spokesperson confirmed that Allen had been suspended "pending investigation." The party did not provide a timeline for the inquiry.

The suspension follows a separate action by Reform UK last month, when it suspended Durham County Council member Paul Bean over allegations he breached civil service impartiality rules related to his role processing asylum claims. Posts attributed to Bean reportedly claimed that the vast majority of asylum seekers were "abusing the asylum system."