Ex-Reform councillor denies threats to kill wife

Daniel Taylor currently represents Cliftonville on Kent County Council as an independent councillor

A trial date has been set for a suspended Reform councillor accused of threatening to kill his wife.

Daniel Taylor, 35, from Margate, has sat as an independent councillor on Kent County Council since his arrest in June.

He denies making threats to kill his wife on June 1 and a separate charge of sending an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message to her that day.

Taylor, who is on bail, will appear at Margate Magistrates' Court on 22 May next year.

On Friday, Taylor, who is the councillor for Cliftonville, appeared before magistrates and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.

He faces a third charge of repeatedly or continuously engaging in behaviour which was controlling or coercive towards his wife.

This charge was initially said to be related to behaviour that happened from 2014 until 1 June 2025, but this was amended on Friday to have occurred between 1 January 2015 and 2 July 2025.

Taylor was one of 57 Reform candidates to win a Kent County Council seat when the party took control of the authority on 1 May.

Reform UK removed the whip from Taylor after the matter was referred to the police.

The party's Kent group whip has been contacted for comment.

Taylor will appear for a case management hearing in Margate on 13 November before the trial begins next year.