Reform UK MP James McMurdock ‘needs to be expelled over assault’
![Reform UK MP James McMurdock ‘needs to be expelled over assault’ Reform UK MP James McMurdock ‘needs to be expelled over assault’](https://i0.wp.com/ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/1a18/live/7f4550f0-ae5f-11ef-9af3-974accc25a90.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
![BBC James McMurdock is standing in front of a Hackney cab carriage, which is painted in the colours of Reform UK (blue, white and red). He is wearing a navy blue suite and a blue tie.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1a18/live/7f4550f0-ae5f-11ef-9af3-974accc25a90.jpg.webp)
A council chief has referred to as on Nigel Farage to expel considered one of his Reform UK MPs over their conviction for assaulting a former girlfriend.
James McMurdock admitted he pushed the lady in 2006, having been requested in regards to the incident after profitable the Essex seat of South Basildon and East Thurrock in July.
Nevertheless, final week The Occasions reported additional particulars from the courtroom data, which reportedly mentioned he kicked the sufferer about 4 instances.
Gavin Callaghan, the Labour chief at Basildon Council, mentioned Farage ought to have withdrawn the whip from McMurdock following the most recent revelation.
“Nigel Farage is weak,” mentioned Callaghan.
“The actual fact he’s not keen to handle it like an actual parliamentary chief, speaks volumes about him.”
![Matt Knight/BBC Gavin Callaghan, appearing bearded, with short brown hair, and a black or navy blue suit. He is looking at the camera, not smiling, with an off-white painted wall behind him.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/6902/live/6a4d9680-ae6e-11ef-beba-19cb1c2bb5ca.jpg.webp)
McMurdock gained the seat on the basic election by 98 votes. The Labour candidate got here second, and the incumbent Conservative Stephen Metcalfe completed third.
After the election consequence, the Every day Mail mentioned it spoke to the sufferer’s mom, and McMurdock launched an announcement in response.
He mentioned he was 19 years previous on the time, that each of them had been “very drunk” and that he handed himself into police “instantly”.
“I confronted the results then and paid for my motion in full,” he mentioned.
“It was the realisation of what occurred that evening and the disgrace I felt over it that led me to show my life round.”
Reform UK mentioned it was conscious of the conviction and informed the Mail it believed “strongly that folks can change their lives”.
Final week, the Occasions reported that he pleaded responsible late within the authorized course of and indicated a “lack of willingness to conform”.
He spent per week in a younger offenders establishment.
McMurdock’s workplace mentioned it had nothing so as to add to his assertion from July, when approached by the BBC final week.
![James McMurdock is on the left, wearing a white t-shirt and grey hoodie. Nigel Farage is on the right, wearing a bright blue suit, a checked white shirt and a purple tie. Behind them are some football pitches.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/057c/live/a99d28f0-ae5f-11ef-9af3-974accc25a90.jpg.webp)
Farage, the MP for Clacton and get together chief, has stood by his colleague and on Thursday he mentioned McMurdock did one thing “actually terrible a very long time in the past”.
“It is not one thing he is happy with in any method in any respect, however you understand, what’s finished is finished, we’ve the rehabilitation of offenders’ act – we’ve Christian forgiveness.”
Pressed additional, he prompt McMurdock – who went on to work within the Metropolis of London and was a married father-of-four – was a “story of real rehabilitation”.
Potential candidates for Parliament can stand for election regardless of having a legal report, except they’ve served a jail time period or been detained for 12 months or extra.