Caroline Gladwin is back as an Isle of Wight Reform UK councillor, the party’s leader, Nigel Farage, has confirmed this week.
On 4th February, Reform UK said that Cllr Gladwin had the whip removed after an internal investigation had been launched, as previously reported by Island Echo.
Cllr Gladwin claimed there had been a hate campaign against her, following revelations that the Central Rural representative, who was serving on the Isle of Wight’s housing needs committee, was previously hit with warning notices over the state of a flat she rented out.
But now, just over a month later, it’s all changed.
Sitting around a table with the Isle of Wight’s local press yesterday evening (Monday), Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said:
“The whip was removed because some serious accusations were made against her.
“We’ve looked deeply into that, we think she’s been accused falsely and the whip’s been restored.
“We were, you might say, overly cautious in that situation. Let’s face it, all political parties have trouble with councillors. Hundreds of councillors change every year. This isn’t plain sailing.”
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He said there was some controversy over some property lets where she was accused of ‘all sorts’.
The Clacton MP remarked his party were very harsh in suspending her, perhaps too harsh, and that Reform were held to a higher standard than the others because they are the challengers to the establishment.
Nigel added:
“In this case, she got a rough deal from us but she’s back and everything’s fine.
Caroline Gladwin, who secured a landslide victory in the Central Rural ward last May, has lived on the Isle of Wight since she was just 2-years-old. A former student of Medina High School, Caroline has previously said she’s deeply rooted in the Island’s communities and driven by the desire to uphold both Reform’s values and traditional British values.
the term “whip” in politics, and its usage, has always puzzled me.
Whilst I know enough of parliamentary politics, to understand its intended meaning, it does see a rather punitive term..
Somehow it conjures up disconcerting images of naked MPs and Dominatrixes…
both slightly amusing, but also rather disturbing. at the same time..
In this case, whether she had it removed, or reinstated, or whether she,….. well. it’s probably a good idea not to imagine too hard,.. (unless you have a very strong stomach)
Hopefuly she’s a Reformed character now ….
Good to hear. Imagine having to deal with Councillor Brodie regularly?? Must be horrendous