Ben Rowe #

Introduction #

Ben Rowe is a Reform UK councillor who won the Ham ward on Plymouth City Council in the local elections of 7 May 2026, only to be suspended by his party days later after he was accused of making a series of Islamophobic and antisemitic posts on social media. The posts had emerged before polling day and prompted Reform to open an investigation into the claims, but Rowe was still elected comfortably, taking 1,649 votes — more than double the total of his nearest rival. Around a month after the suspension, the party readmitted him following an internal disciplinary process, issuing him with a final written warning and saying he had apologised and accepted responsibility for his conduct. He remains a Reform UK councillor.

Background Information #

Rowe stood for Reform UK in Ham, a ward in the city of Plymouth, in elections held on 7 May 2026. The BBC reported that he won the seat with 1,649 votes, more than double that of his nearest rival, Labour’s Tina Tuohy. It was a strong night for his party: Reform took 14 of the 19 seats available in Plymouth, where elections are held in thirds, and the results left Labour in control of the council with 31 seats while Reform became the main opposition group with 16. Beyond his candidacy, little about Rowe’s personal or professional background appeared in the coverage; the reporting that came to define his public profile concerned his social media history, which journalists examined in the days around his election.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

The controversy began before Rowe was elected. Reports that he was accused of making a series of Islamophobic and antisemitic posts on social media emerged ahead of polling day, prompting Reform UK to say it was investigating the claims while his candidacy remained in place. The BBC said it had seen posts on Rowe’s Facebook account that included a blackface meme, images calling on people to “Free the world of Islam”, and pictures of fake shotgun shells loaded with bits of bacon.

Further alleged comments were reported by the BBC, citing a previous article in The Times. In a comment beneath a YouTube video in February, Rowe was said to have accused “the Jews” of “creating division by forcing other races on our societies” and to have described immigrants to the UK as “breeding like rats”. These remained press reports of allegations rather than established findings; no legal process followed, and the matter was handled as an internal party disciplinary question.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The institutional response came quickly once the election was out of the way. Within days of Rowe’s victory, the party confirmed to the BBC that he had been suspended, with a Reform spokesman saying: “Cllr Rowe has been suspended from Reform UK pending investigation.” The suspension landed just as the shape of the new council became clear: Reform’s 14 gains had made it the main opposition group at Plymouth City Council, and one of its newest councillors was to begin his term outside the party he had stood for. The sanction came from Reform rather than the council, so Rowe’s seat itself was not affected — he remained the elected member for Ham throughout, but he did so without the party whip.

Current Status #

Rowe is back in Reform UK and is serving as councillor for Ham under a final written warning. On 10 June 2026, the BBC reported that he had been reinstated following an internal disciplinary process. A party spokesperson said: “Following an internal disciplinary process, Cllr Rowe has been readmitted to the party and issued with a final written warning. He has accepted responsibility for his poor online conduct and apologised, and made clear the comments do not reflect his beliefs.” Rowe told the BBC: “I’m happy I’ve been reinstated. I’m very grateful to the people who voted for me and I’m looking forward to serving the people of Ham.”

Impact on Their Career/Life #

The affair bookended Rowe’s first weeks in elected office. He won one of the larger personal mandates of Plymouth’s 2026 local elections, lost the party whip within days of taking the seat, and regained it a month later only after an internal disciplinary process ended with a final written warning and a public apology. He kept his council seat throughout, because the sanction was his party’s rather than the council’s, but he served roughly the first month of his term as a suspended member of the group he was elected for. The party’s characterisation of the episode — “poor online conduct” for which he accepted responsibility — now sits on the public record alongside the posts themselves, as reported by the BBC and The Times. Rowe, for his part, has said he is looking forward to serving the people of Ham.