Reform UK councillor resigns after four months

David Maclean won an Isle of Wight Council seat in May

A newly elected Reform UK councillor has resigned his seat after coming under pressure over non-attendance.

On Thursday, Conservative councillor Paul Brading said David Maclean should "consider his position" after failing to attend three meetings of the island children's services committee.

Reform said Mr Maclean had stepped down from the authority for "personal reasons".

The island's other Reform councillor, Caroline Gladwin, said her colleague had suffered a bereavement and the criticism by Brading was unfair.

Mr Maclean was not present at the 2 May by-election count where he won his Lake North seat or his initiation day at County Hall.

Ms Gladwin said: "David has unfortunately resigned... after a family bereavement that happened days before the by-election.

"He has been struggling to support his family with ever since and he deserved sympathy and support instead of the public attack he got before his resignation."

Reform seized control of nine English authorities in May's local elections, winning 677 of around 1,600 seats contested.

Since then, newly elected Reform councillors have stepped down in other councils including Doncaster, Durham, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.