Reform councillor resigns as job was 'mis-sold'
South Tyneside CouncilA Reform UK councillor elected in May has resigned claiming the role was "mis-sold" to him.
Alex Clarke was elected to represent the Harton ward on South Tyneside Council but claimed he had been given to understand he would only need to attend six meetings a year.
His resignation comes after the Hope not Hate website reported he allegedly made antisemitic comments about England footballer Djed Spence and made sexist remarks on a podcast he runs with his partner.
Clarke claimed he thought he had resigned several weeks ago, but had done so incorrectly. Reform said it was aware Clarke had submitted his "official resignation" on Thursday.
The council confirmed Clarke had officially resigned from his post on Thursday, but he said he believed he had stepped down several weeks ago.
He said he was never told the "official way to resign" and had emailed the person he believed would process his departure.
He said after he had sent the email, he was asked to stay on by Reform members.
"I wanted to resign because I was sold [the councillor position] under false pretences," he said.
"It was only after the election that the reality of what the position entailed made itself apparent, to which I was immediately overwhelmed and felt trapped."
Clarke claimed in the build-up to the local elections he had raised concerns with Reform about not having enough available time for the responsibilities of a councillor, but was told he would "only have to attend six meetings per year".
"It became apparent immediately following the election this was not the case as I got put on all these committees I knew hardly anything about," he said.
A Reform spokesperson said: "Preparations are now under way to contest the upcoming by-election so that the people of Harton can elect a strong Reform UK representative."
The party did not provide a comment on claims made by Clarke about being misinformed.
Podcast comments
Clarke came under scrutiny after Hope Not Hate alleged he made a number of offensive comments on a podcast he co-hosts with his partner.
It published clips the site claims were from the couple's weekly show, during which Clarke's voice can be heard saying "washing clothes is a woman's job", while another mocked female drivers.
He also alleged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was a paedophile and ended an episode after being told Starmer's wife comes from a Jewish family.
On another occasion, he used a derogatory word referring to gay people.
Clarke said he did not stand by the comments "if they have caused offence or harm to people" and that was not "their intended purpose".
"Also, no-one gave me a code of conduct as a councillor," he said.
He said the podcast had a very small listener count, mostly made up of friends, and was a way he could "vent out issues in a safe environment as opposed to others resorting to worse ways".
"In the same way Lady Gaga wore a meat suit to try and get more engagement, this was my way of saying something a bit controversial to try and get engagement," he said.
Clarke said he had now taken down the podcasts in which he made the comments.
After decades of Labour control, Reform took control of South Tyneside Council by winning three-quarters of its seats last month.
Following Clarke's resignation, a local authority spokesperson said a vacancy in the Harton ward would be declared "in due course".
"The council expects all elected members to maintain high standards of conduct, both in public office and in their interactions with others," they said.