Nigel Farage sacked Reform UK’s general secretary for failing to tell the party leadership that one of their most prominent candidates in the May local elections had been charged with 35 criminal offences, including 12 counts of rape.
An official statement from the party released on Wednesday said Tom Waterhouse had stepped down as general secretary “to spend more time with his family”.
But senior party sources have told The Independent he was sacked over a row involving former Hampshire County Council Reform UK group leader George Madgwick.
However, Labour claimed Mr Waterhouse had become the “latest fall-guy” for Reform’s “scandals”.
Mr Waterhouse had been in charge of candidate vetting and, according to a number of senior sources, was held accountable for a series of missteps in selecting people to run for the party. It comes after a number of revelations about the party, including an investigation by ITV, which alleged racism, misogyny and bigotry among council candidates.
But The Independent was told “the final straw” was Madgwick. Last week, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced he has been charged with 35 offences, including 12 counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of assault by penetration, two counts of making and one count of distributing indecent images of a child.
Police confirmed that Madgwick was first arrested over the allegations in January this year. But he was still allowed to stand as a council candidate in Hampshire, becoming Reform UK group leader on the council after the election.
A senior party source told The Independent: “We are furious about it. Nigel sacked him. Tom Waterhouse knew but he did not tell Nigel [Farage], he did not tell Zia [Yusuf] and he did not tell Suella [Braverman].
“It has completely undermined our attempts to deal with the small boat issues in Gosport and they were all pictured with him so we cannot use any of those pictures down there.
“So that’s why Nigel sacked him.”
Ms Braverman is the party’s only Hampshire MP and had been at the forefront of efforts to capitalise on protests in Portsmouth and Gosport while Mr Yusuf, as the party’s home affairs spokesman, had been leading the support for people opposing the crossings.
A source added: “If they had known then, Madgwick would not have featured in any campaigning material or even been a candidate. It was unforgivable to cover it up and wave it off.”
Labour Party chairwoman Bridget Phillipson said: “As the scandals pile up for Reform, everyone is being forced to take the blame except Nigel Farage.
“Their general secretary is the latest fall-guy, but we all know nobody in Reform makes a decision without Farage’s approval.”
Earlier this month, the leader of Reform UK in Hampshire, George Madgwick, was charged with 35 offences, including 12 counts of rape.
Ms Phillipson continued: “Farage is yet to come clean on what he knew about the arrest of his senior campaign manager and leader in Hampshire, who is now facing 35 very serious charges.
“And he tried to cover up a secret £5 million ‘gift’ from a crypto billionaire.
“On top of the police probes into Reform’s cash scandals, it’s clear that Farage is drowning in sleaze.
“Reform are completely unfit for public office.”
The issue of small boat crossings with illegal migrants was raised in Prime Minister’s Questions by Gosport Tory MP Caroline Dinenage on Wednesday with the prime minister Andy Burnham warning against “those who want to cause division.”
A Reform UK spokesman said: "Tom Waterhouse has left his role with Reform UK. The party leader has now appointed an interim general secretary."
Madgwick will appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on 25 November.
The charges follow a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary investigation into allegations relating to four victims, who were between 16 and 17 at the time. The incidents allegedly took place between 2008 and 2021 in Portsmouth and Wales.
