Reform UK's Matthew Cooke, the Interim Chair for Richmond and Northallerton, has published his resignation letter to X:
In the letter Matthew Cooke said: "It is with a profoundly heavy heart, and after countless hours of soul-searching, that I am tendering my resignation as your Interim Chair of the Richmond and Northallerton Reform UK branch, effective immediately".
Mr Cooke's letter in full:
16th March 2025
REFORM UK
To the Reform UK Members of Richmond and Northallerton,
It is with a profoundly heavy heart, and after countless hours of soul-searching, that I am tendering my resignation as your Interim Chair of the Richmond and Northallerton Reform UK branch, effective immediately.
I address this letter directly to you because my commitment has always been to the local members and residents of our beautiful constituency-not to the distant, figures in suits at Reform HQ.
I joined Reform UK in June 2024 with a clear and unwavering purpose: to support our General Election candidate, Lee Taylor. I believed then, as I do today, that Lee would make an outstanding Member of Parliament for our constituency. Lee is a true patriot, and I was honored to serve as his Campaign Manager and Agent.
After the election, I continued to serve you as Interim Chair, dedicating countless hours to building the foundational structures, organisation, website, and communication channels essential for long-term electoral success. I committed myself to addressing constituency issues, assisting the homeless, and raising resident complaints with North Yorkshire Council. Just this past weekend, even while away from the area, I remained committed to party affairs contacting both North Yorkshire Police and our local MP about pressing matters, ranging from domestic abuse and social care to housing concerns. My passion for helping those in difficult circumstances has been a constant burning flame throughout my life, and central to my role in the party.
Some of my contributions have been public, while others were carried out quietly behind closed doors - but all were done in the name of Reform UK.
However, I can no longer remain silent while two fundamental issues continue to plague the party.
The first of these issues concerns the ongoing autocratic leadership that stubbornly refuses to democratise, with a worryingly consolidation of power at the top, compounded by a contempt shown to grassroot members.
The second relates to the reckless embrace of unguided populism, allowing the party to be randomly blown from one issue to the next without allowing for proper debate, innovation of ideas or principled consensus. Allowing in 'Remainers', Liberal Democrats, Labour and Conservative members alike to stand as Reform UK candidates is turning a party that stood for something into a party that stands for nothing.
This ongoing trend and 'Establishment creep', the watering down of policy, and the ongoing shift to the comfortable middle-ground is clearly an orchestrated preparation for a Conservative-Reform merger at worst, or abandonment of original objectives at best.
These concerns have come to a head during the disgraceful public treatment of Great Dartmouth MP Rupert Lowe. The handling of Rupert's situation revealed that Reform UK has no tolerance for debate, nor for dissenting views. Rupert voiced his beliefs about mass deportations for foreign-born criminals and the cultural consequences of Islamification. Nigel, on the other hand, holds opposing views. In any party that truly values freedom of speech, both perspectives would normally be allowed to coexist, fostering debate, discussion, and democratic resolution. But not in Reform UK. In Reform UK, opposing views are silenced, and if that doesn't work the dissenter is expelled.
Under the direction of Nigel Farage and Muhammad Ziauddin Yusef, and in plain sight of the public's gaze, Mr Lowe was subjected to a sham kangaroo trial, in which an outstanding and hard-working MP was cast aside with trumped-up, unsubstantiated charges.
The relentless attacks from Reform UK's public relations team exemplify a ruthless purge of dissent-a betrayal of the fundamental British values the party claims to uphold. If Mr Lowe is guilty of the charges of violence being thrown at him, then fine. These should be investigated and, if found guilty, he should indeed be dealt with appropriately. But, in Britain, a man is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Reform UK leadership have acted, judged, punished, condemned and ostracised, however, without presenting any credible evidence.
The conduct displayed by Nigel Farage, Muhamed Ziauddin Yussef, Richard Tice and Lee Anderson was neither British nor Christian, and it revealed something deeply troubling about the party's moral principles. Nigel Farage, undoubtedly the most effective British political communicator of our time, has forfeited his moral authority. I will not stand behind a leader who has lost the fundamental sense of right and wrong, no matter how great an orator he might be.
Equally concerning has been Nigel's gradual ideological shift to the left, seemingly crafted to attract left-leaning voters. His deceptive "Net Zero" immigration pledge masks the reality that half a million immigrants could still enter the country annually-continuing to erode our national identity. Nigel knows this yet refuses to acknowledge the cultural consequences of such a policy. Net Zero immigration is simply not enough, just like mass deportation of foreign criminals is essential.
In light of this, I was compelled to ask myself two searching questions.
Could I continue to support a party in which the leadership shows contempt for free speech, democracy, and fundamental British values, while controlling the party through dubious legal mechanisms?
And, could I stand behind a party that downplays the threats of cultural erosion and lacks the resolve to make tough choices on immigration?
The first former concerns morals, the latter concerns principles.
To both these questions the answer came loud and clear. I cannot and I will not.
Therefore, I resign from my position, and, until circumstances change, withdraw my support for the party.
Sadly, Reform UK has lost its way, at such an important crossroad and I am unable to follow the party down its current path when clearly the signpost is pointing in the other direction.
I wish you all well and will always remain your friend.
Your servant and patriot,
Matthew Cooke
Interim Chair, Richmond and Northallerton Reform UK
https://twitter.com/cookepolitics/status/1901904501906260118
