Two Gateshead councillors representing Reform UK have been identified as members of a closed Facebook group linked to the far-right Patriot Platform, according to reporting that has deepened scrutiny of the party’s local activists.
What has been revealed
National reporting revealed that five Reform councillors across the north-east had been members of a group called North East Patriots, which contained material that linked to the Patriot Platform movement. Of those five, two were councillors serving Gateshead. The report said two councillors left the group after being contacted by the Guardian and that a fifth also said he was no longer a member.
The North East Patriots group was established by a Tyneside Reform activist identified in reporting as Mark Thorn, who is described within the group as a local party representative. Campaigners who monitor extremism said the closed group invited new members with references back to Patriot Platform and that membership tagging suggested the councillors were active members rather than casual observers.
Local reaction and context
The revelations come at a time when Reform UK nationally has faced questions over its relationship with uniformed street groups and activists who have appeared at demonstrations in other parts of the country. The party leader publicly criticised incidents involving the black-clad groups, but reporting has highlighted internal divisions among members over how to respond to those activities.
One of the Gateshead councillors named in the coverage, James Wright, said he had joined the Facebook group as part of routine monitoring of local discussion pages and denied that his membership amounted to endorsement of the material or organisations referenced.
"I joined the North East Patriots Facebook group in the same way I follow and monitor a wide range of local groups, community pages and political discussions," Wright said. "Membership of a social media group should not be taken as endorsement of every view expressed by other members, administrators or organisations referenced within it."
The reporting also said that Hope Not Hate, an organisation which monitors far-right activity, identified four councillors who had been members of the closed group and that members were tagged in welcome messages, indicating active participation rather than passive membership.
Why this matters to Gateshead residents
Local councillors are expected to represent their communities and make decisions affecting services, planning and public safety. The presence of elected members in a group linked to a vigilante platform raises questions about judgement, oversight and the potential normalisation of extreme or intimidatory activity, particularly when the group in question contains material urging people to "join the movement".
Gateshead residents will reasonably ask how councillors monitor and manage the lines between researching community sentiment on social media and associating with groups whose aims or tactics are contested or condemned. It also places a spotlight on the local party’s internal checks and the guidance given to councillors about online activity.
- Five Reform councillors in the north-east were reported as members of the North East Patriots group.
- Two of those reported were councillors serving in Gateshead.
- Following enquiries by the media, at least two councillors left the group and a further member said they were no longer part of it.
The report did not publicly name all of the councillors involved beyond the examples already cited in national coverage. Reform UK has faced tension between senior figures condemning the behaviour of hardline activists and some members within the movement who have described those groups as patriotic.
What happens next
Local residents and party members may seek clarification from Reform UK and from their Gateshead councillors about why they joined the group, what they saw there, and whether they took any steps to challenge problematic content. Councillors contacted by reporters have said they will not necessarily be judged by mere membership of a group, but by their conduct in office.
| Aspect | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Group name | North East Patriots (closed Facebook group) |
| Linked organisation | Patriot Platform |
| Reform councillors involved | Five in the north-east; two named as serving Gateshead |
For Gateshead voters, the episode is likely to prompt renewed attention to the conduct of local representatives and the standards applied by political parties when councillors associate with controversial online groups.
Reporting on this matter is ongoing and further local comment from representatives and party officials may follow.
