Councillor Aaron Roy expelled from Reform UK only weeks after joining at Sunderland rally
A councillor has been expelled from Reform UK only weeks after joining the party.
Former Labour councillor Aaron Roy was paraded on stage with Reform leader Nigel Farage at a rally in Sunderland at the end of March.
But he has been expelled after it emerged he described the St George’s flag as a “crusade flag” in a private Labour Party group chat on Whatsapp back in August 2025.
The NHS nurse, who represents the Hart ward on Hartlepool Borough Council, disputes the context of the allegations, claiming they are “not accurate” and “based on the same misrepresentations that have been circulated publicly”.
Cllr Roy’s Reform membership has been revoked and he has been given 14 days to appeal the decision.
Speaking about the messages, he said: “I want to be absolutely clear from the outset. I have never disrespected the England flag, nor have I ever said that I do not align with it.
"That claim is entirely false and has been misrepresented.
"The comments being referenced were part of a wider discussion within a private Labour councillors’ group, where multiple people were contributing at the same time.
"As a result, responses did not always appear in a clear sequence.”
In a message on Whatsapp, Cllr Roy said: “We know people here are proud of their roots and proud of their country.
"Flying a flag is one way of showing that pride, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
"The only time it becomes an issue is if flags are misused to spread hatred or division.”
Cllr Roy resigned from the Labour Party at the beginning of March to become an independent councillor before shortly announcing that he was joining Reform UK at the rally at the Sunderland Live Arena at the end of the month.
Cllr Roy has denied his criticism of the St George’s Flag, instead raising concerns about the “consistency” of its use in civic spaces.
He said: “This was a discussion about fairness, perception and responsible communication, not an attack on any flag or symbol.
"It is therefore deeply concerning that a private conversation from August 2025 has been selectively leaked nearly a year later, stripped of its full context and presented in a way that creates a misleading narrative.”
A Reform spokesperson said: “Reform is proud of our nation’s flags and there’s no place in our party for anyone with views such as those shared by Cllr Aaron Roy.
"As soon as his comments were brought to our attention, he was expelled from the party.”
Cllr Roy said: “I am confident that a full and fair review of the actual context will clarify the situation.”