A senior Reform UK official has quit the party in the latest hammer blow to leader Nigel Farage.
Tom Waterhouse spent 16 months as the party’s general secretary, but is stepping down to “spend more time with his family”.
The Daily Mail claimed Reform chiefs had becoming increasingly irritated with Waterhouse over the party’s poor vetting processes – one of the general secretary’s main responsibilities.
Multiple would-be MPs and Reform UK councillors were accused of “extreme racism” and misogyny after being caught in an ITV sting operation last month.
One of those in the documentary included George Madgwick, Reform’s leader in Hampshire, who was charged with 35 offences against four victims, including 12 counts of rape, this month.
Madgwick was arrested in January and is facing charges of sexual assault, controlling or coercive behaviour and making indecent images of children.
It followed a series of promises from Reform’s leadership that it would be stepping up its vetting processes.
Waterhouse also led an internal investigation into Farage’s top aides, James Orr and Dan Jukes, after they were accused of taking money from a fake US businessman in breach of British electoral law.
The two men stepped down from their roles while Waterhouse’s probe cleared the insiders of any wrongdoing, even though a police investigation is still ongoing.
Waterhouse suspended Reform supporter and media commentator Tim Montgomerie while Farage was on holiday for publicly criticised the party.
A Reform spokesperson said: “Tom Waterhouse has left his role with Reform UK. The party leader has now appointed an interim General Secretary.”
It remains unclear who the interim replacement is.
Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said: “As the scandals pile up for Reform, everyone is being forced to take the blame except Nigel Farage.
“Their general secretary is the latest fall-guy, but we all know nobody in Reform makes a decision without Farage’s approval.
“Farage is yet to come clean on what he knew about the arrest of his senior campaign manager and leader in Hampshire, who is now facing 35 very serious charges.
“And he tried to cover up a secret £5 million ‘gift’ from a crypto billionaire.
“On top of the police probes into Reform’s cash scandals, it’s clear that Farage is drowning in sleaze. Reform are completely unfit for public office.”
Reform UK has also slipped to third place in the opinion polls behind Labour and the Tories.
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