Tanya Brasted #

Introduction #

Tanya Brasted is a Reform UK councillor who represents the West Marsh ward on North East Lincolnshire Council, and who became the centre of an internal party row in early September 2026 after she was removed from the council’s Cabinet by Reform group leader Oliver Freeston. The removal followed accusations of financial mismanagement surrounding a Reform Christmas Ball fund-raiser she had organised and an allegation that she conspired to secretly record a private group meeting — all of which she categorically rejects. Within days she quit the Reform group, saying she felt “stitched up” and “unfairly targeted”, and now continues to serve West Marsh as an independent councillor.

Background Information #

Brasted sits on North East Lincolnshire Council for the West Marsh ward. Reform UK took control of the council in May 2026, when Freeston was elected as a councillor, and her removal from Cabinet came around three months after the party took charge. She had helped organise a Reform Christmas Ball intended to raise funds for the local election campaign, the event that later became the focus of the dispute. In her own words, her reputation locally had been “built over decades”, and she said she had never been provided with any policies or protocols governing how such an event should be run by either the local or national branch.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

Around September 1, 2026, Freeston removed Brasted from the council’s Cabinet, saying he had “lost trust and confidence” in her and raising concerns about her conduct. He said questions had surfaced within the council over the finances of the Reform Christmas Ball, which Brasted had organised, saying: “We were told it had made a profit, then later that there was none. That discrepancy required investigation”. He also alleged she had attempted to stop the investigation, saying she had responded with “a formal letter-before-action that appeared to have been generated by ChatGPT”, adding that he saw the letter as “an attempt to stop the financial inquiry”. He further said he had been told, in substance, that legal action would be dropped if he agreed to stop investigating a secret recording of a group meeting, and that he had “refused to back down” over what he called a speculative defamation claim.

Brasted rejects every element of this account. She said the removal from Cabinet followed allegations about a recording made at a Reform group meeting she did not attend because she was out of the country, and that she had merely asked another councillor to keep her informed while she was away. In her telling, that person “chose to record the meeting themselves”. On the Ball’s finances she said “every penny was properly accounted for, the figures have been checked, and the books are in order”, noting that once expenses were accounted for the actual surplus was considerably smaller than expected.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The row drew coverage from both national and local outlets, with The Independent reporting the allegations of misconduct and missing Christmas party funds and Gi Grimsby News covering the council group’s turmoil. Brasted resigned from the Reform group shortly afterwards, citing the conduct of its current local leadership. She told The Independent: “I categorically reject any suggestion of financial impropriety in relation to the Christmas Ball, and I strongly reject any suggestion that I attempted to prevent any legitimate investigation into its finances.” She said: “I have never had anything to hide and I am entirely comfortable with the finances being properly and independently examined.” She added: “I emphatically deny any dishonesty or misappropriation of funds.”

She also went on the offensive, saying there were “legitimate questions” that Freeston himself should answer regarding the handling of party funds during his time as local branch campaign manager. Freeston did not respond to a request for comment from Gi Grimsby News, and Reform UK was contacted for comment by The Independent. Photo captions in The Independent indicated she was one of several councillors to leave Reform that week.

Current Status #

Brasted remains a councillor for West Marsh, sitting as an independent after leaving the Reform group. She said: “Until circumstances change, I will continue doing the job the people of West Marsh elected me to do. I will be an Independent councillor — answerable to my residents, my conscience and nobody else.” She stressed that her decision to step away from the council group should not be read as an attack on Reform UK itself, saying she remains “a proud member and supporter nationally”, and expressed hope that the party could “get its house in order locally” before next year’s elections. Her commitment to the ward, she said, is unchanged, and she will continue raising residents’ concerns and challenging decisions where necessary.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

The dispute cost Brasted her Cabinet position and her membership of the ruling group barely three months into Reform’s administration, transforming her from a member of the new administration’s Cabinet into an independent backbencher. She has framed the affair as a threat to a reputation built over decades, saying she is concerned that serious allegations are affecting her integrity “before any fair process has been undertaken and reached a conclusion”, and vowing: “I have nothing to hide and I will clear my name.” Whether the Ball’s finances receive the independent examination she says she welcomes, and whether her relations with the local Reform group change, remains unresolved in the coverage to date.