Reform councillor suspended for alleged PM threats

Councillor John Allen has been suspended from Reform UK

A Reform UK councillor has been suspended from the party following allegations he made online comments threatening to kill the prime minister.

John Allen, who represents the Hirst ward on Northumberland County Council, is being investigated by his party after a YouTube commenter said he would shoot Sir Keir Starmer if given the chance.

The comments, posted on an account with a username @johnallen7807, were reportedly discovered by campaign group Hope Not Hate but the account has not been verified by the BBC as belonging to the councillor.

Allen has been contacted for comment. A Reform UK spokesperson confirmed he had been suspended "pending investigation".

Allen was elected to the council in May and holds positions on the council's county emergency committee, licensing committee and the Ashington & Blyth Community Partnership.

He also sits on the Northumbria Police and Crime Panel.

Last month, Reform suspended Durham County Council's Paul Bean over allegations he breached civil service impartiality rules because of his job processing asylum claims.

Posts, allegedly written by Bean, claimed the vast majority of asylum seekers were "abusing the asylum system".