Billy Burke #

Introduction #

Billy Burke is a British Reform UK politician who was elected to Trafford Council in Greater Manchester in the local elections of May 2026, winning the Davyhulme ward by just 11 votes, and who was suspended by the party in early June 2026 after being charged with possession of an offensive weapon. The charge, brought by Greater Manchester Police against the 67-year-old weeks after he took office, led Reform to suspend him pending legal proceedings, while the council confirmed he remained a councillor in post, as a charge alone does not disqualify.

Background Information #

Burke, 67, lives on Woodsend Crescent Road in Urmston, Trafford, and stood for Reform UK in the Davyhulme ward at the local elections of May 2026. He won the seat narrowly, beating his Labour rival by just 11 votes — one of the tightest results of the Greater Manchester contests, which saw Reform make gains across the region. His election made him one of Reform’s newest councillors on an authority the party was targeting as part of its push into Greater Manchester local government. The margin — eleven votes separating him from his Labour rival — meant the result had already been recounted and reported locally as one of the knife-edge outcomes of the night, giving his charge, when it came, an especially sharp irony: a career decided by the slimmest of margins at the ballot was undone within a fortnight by events entirely off it.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

In the first week of June 2026, Greater Manchester Police announced that William Burke, of Woodsend Crescent Road, Urmston, had been charged with possession of an offensive weapon. A spokesperson for the force said: “William Burke, of Woodsend Crescent Road, Urmston, has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon. He has been bailed and is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on August 25, 2026.” News of the charge against a serving councillor emerged days after he had taken up the post, and both his party and his council moved quickly to address the situation.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

Reform UK suspended Burke from the party following the charge. A Reform UK spokesman said: “Cllr Burke has been suspended from Reform UK following a charge of possession of an offensive weapon. As the matter is subject to ongoing legal proceedings, it would not be appropriate to comment further.” Trafford Council confirmed he remained in post, stating: “A councillor is not automatically disqualified from office upon being charged. They remain in post unless, and until, the legal criteria for disqualification is met. The Council will continue to follow its legal obligations and standards processes while the matter is ongoing.” The Manchester Mirror covered the suspension as a further early embarrassment for the party’s new intake, noting Reform had suspended the Trafford councillor after the weapon charge. Burke was approached for comment by the Messenger Newspapers but the report did not record a response.

Current Status #

Burke remains an elected councillor for Davyhulme on Trafford Council but sits suspended from Reform UK pending the outcome of criminal proceedings, with the party whip withdrawn within days of the charge. He was bailed to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on 25 August 2026, and as with any criminal charge he is presumed innocent until proven guilty; no conviction has been reported in the coverage consulted for this page. The outcome of the August hearing determines both his legal position and, potentially, the council-seat consequences that follow a custodial sentence of more than three months under the Local Government Act 1972 disqualification rules.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

Burke’s council career began with an 11-vote mandate and was suspended from the party that fielded him within roughly a fortnight of taking office, making him one of the shortest-lived Reform councillors of the 2026 intake. His case joined the string of May-2026-cohort scandals — suspensions over racist and Holocaust-denial posts, resignations over exposed histories — that turned Reform’s vetting into a running national story, and the criminal proceedings hanging over him ensured the Davyhulme contest’s narrow margin would be remembered for the controversy rather than the count. His elected role now depends on legal outcomes outside his control.