(Image: Colin Mearns)
A Reform UK election candidate has resigned after launching a scathing attack on the party, accusing its leadership of "extreme nepotism, cronyism, and bullying".
The resignation letter, sent to Nigel Farage, Malcolm Offord and other senior party members, also questions Reform UK's deputy leader in Scotland Thomas Kerr's "fitness" for the role.
Candidate Paul Bennie gave Reform UK his notice last week, saying the Scottish arm had "failed miserably to live up to my expectations".
Read More: Reform UK candidate quits just days out from election
Mr Bennie stood for Reform UK in Glasgow Central. He finished third with 3,988 votes; the SNP's Alison Thewliss won the seat with 15,085, 57.4% of the vote.
In his letter, the candidate and member of Reform UK, Veterans for Reform and The Reform Jewish Alliance, Mr Bennie claimed senior figures favoured defecting councillors, former Conservatives, business associates and personal allies for top positions on regional lists, describing the process as driven by "nepotism and cronyism" rather than merit.
Paul Bennie stood for Reform UK in the Glasgow Central seat. He came in third with 3,988 votes; the SNP's Alison Thewliss won the seat with 15,085 votes (Image: Who Can I Vote For?)
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He said: "I joined the Party in order to make a difference to British politics and get the country back on track. I was enticed by Reform UK stating that it wanted real people with experience of life and work outside politics to stand for election at all levels for the Party. I also found the focus on Family, Community, Country to be extremely appealing, particularly Family as this is the foundation on which our Country is built, and needs to be focused on to bring about a wholesome and prosperous future for the UK.
"I have however found that Reform UK in Scotland has failed miserably to live up to my expectations. The notion of having ordinary people with experience outside of politics represented in our candidates and elected representatives has been blatantly disregarded.
"This was demonstrated most obviously by the way in which the current management in Scotland had populated the Regional Lists for the election by giving defecting serving Councillors top placings, seemingly rewarding these defectors by making back room deals and promises of top List placings in return for false loyalty."
Mr Bennie went on to claim that "nepotism and cronyism has also played an unsavoury part in the selection of Candidates for top List positions", citing that "former Conservatives, business partners and old pals being given preference over more capable candidates".
"Meritocracy based on ability, potential, experience and suitability were not considered as can be seen in the calibre of the majority of candidates who were listed in the top three positions of each Regional List," he said.
"There were some excellent Constituency Candidates who were not appreciated or supported by the Party management, and as result we failed to deliver any first past the post wins."
Reform UK leader Malcolm Offord and deputy leader Thomas Kerr (Image: Colin Mearns)
Mr Bennie said he tried to raise his concerns with leadership, namely Reform UK chief of staff Martyn Greene, and claims he "attempted to bully me with threats of removing me as a candidate."
He added: "I have had bigger and uglier men attempt to bully me, and I stood up to his arrogance and somewhat unimpressive aggression."
The Herald asked Reform UK to comment specifically on the bullying allegations, but they did not respond to that point.
Mr Bennie also took aim at Reform UK's deputy leader in Scotland, Thomas Kerr, saying that, in his opinion, Kerr is a "political grifter and charlatan with questionable morals" and is "uniquely unsuited to occupy the position of an MSP, never mind deputy leader".
He quotes Kerr's "murky past" as a Conservative and that he previously "expressed support for Transgenderism, fervently promoted the woke cult of LGBTQ+ causes and advocated for more availability of abortion services".
A source close to Reform in Glasgow told The Herald that it was "no surprise to see Paul go".
They added: "I’m sure internally they’re saying it’s no great loss either.
"His blind ambition stopped him fitting in with the group, he had no filter to speak of when it came to his fringe views and he’d push every button going just to get a rise out the others.
"Apparently he demanded to place high on the regional list or he threatened not to bother campaigning - that’s who they were dealing with.
"He was honestly more aligned with what the other parties say about Reform, which is a far cry from what they’re actually all about.
"Anyone who goes down a self-destructive path like that, just to go against the grain, was always on a hiding to nothing."
Reform UK MSPs following the election (Image: Colin Mearns)
Speaking with The Herald about his resignation, Bennie said that he had "no communication from any senior Reform UK figures" since tendering his notice and that "nobody in the Party appears interested in what’s really going on in Scotland."
He added: "The whole operation in Scotland is sub-standard, underperforming, underwhelming and unelectable come the next election.
"There is an ongoing attempt by some members to democratise the Party and take power away from Martyn Greene, but this attempt is being resisted and obfuscated at every turn by the Greene and his cronies.
"Some of the members who are pursuing this democratisation have indicated that if they do not achieve some progress they intend to take their political interest and talents elsewhere, that may be to Restore or to start a new Party, either way they are as unhappy as I am with he way Reform UK in Scotland is being run."
The Herald asked Reform UK whether the party had received any other resignations recently, which it did not respond to.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Paul Bennie is no longer a member of Reform UK. The party did not attempt to reverse his decision.
"We wish Paul well in his future endeavours."
The Herald reported in May, just days before the election, that Reform UK's candidate in East Kilbride quit in a letter saying the party "suffers from the same pathology I came into politics to remedy."
"The promise of this movement was that we are not career politicians," Dr Tim Kelly wrote. "Yet, the moment you step off script to offer actual substance, the support quietly disappears."