Reform UK has confirmed that its general secretary Tom Waterhouse has left his role, with Nigel Farage appointing an interim replacement amid scrutiny of the party’s candidate-vetting procedures. The circumstances of the departure remain disputed.
Reform confirms departure
A Reform UK spokesperson confirmed on 11 November 2026 that Waterhouse had left his role and an interim general secretary had been appointed. The replacement was not named. Waterhouse joined the party in August 2025 and had responsibilities relating to candidate selection, vetting and internal administration.
Competing accounts of why he left
The Independent reported, citing unnamed senior party sources, that Farage dismissed Waterhouse over alleged failures to alert senior leaders to information about a Hampshire councillor. Other reporting attributed the departure to family reasons. Neither explanation has been publicly established through an account from Waterhouse himself. Reform’s confirmation of his departure should not be taken as confirmation of the allegations.
Questions over candidate vetting
The departure follows scrutiny of Reform’s handling of George Madgwick, a former leader of its group on Hampshire County Council. Madgwick has been charged with 35 offences, including 12 counts of rape, and denies wrongdoing. He is due to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on 25 November. The charges remain allegations and criminal proceedings are ongoing. Reporting that he had been arrested months before standing as a candidate has prompted questions about internal reporting procedures.
Farage and party procedures
Farage has reportedly said he did not know about the allegations until charges were brought. The Independent’s account, attributed to unnamed party sources, alleges that information was not passed to senior figures. Those claims have not been independently established. Reform has faced wider scrutiny over candidate selection following an ITV investigation into the conduct of people associated with the party.
Labour responds
Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson criticised Reform’s leadership and suggested Waterhouse was being made to bear responsibility for wider controversies. These are partisan criticisms, not findings about the reasons for his departure.
What happens next
Reform has not publicly named its interim general secretary or confirmed whether a broader review of vetting will take place. The immediate verified development is the senior departure; claims about dismissal and responsibility remain attributed to reporting. The separate criminal case must be allowed to proceed without prejudgment.