Mystery over Reform UK councillor’s switch to Independent

Emily Price

Questions are being asked after a Blaenau Gwent councillor who joined Reform UK with great fanfare last year quietly returned to being an Independent.

Ebbw Vale South Councillor Jonathan Millard confirmed in December 2025 that he had joined the party led by Clacton MP Nigel Farage, becoming Reform UK’s first councillor in the county.

At the time, Cllr Millard, who also works as a boxing ring announcer and host, said he had spent almost seven years serving Ebbw Vale South as an Independent but believed he could achieve more by joining Reform UK.

He said: “For nearly seven years I’ve served Ebbw Vale South as a genuinely independent councillor – free from party whips – and delivered real results, including leading the campaign for fewer councillors and still working on a leaner local authority.

“But one independent voice on a Labour-dominated council can only achieve so much.”

Reform UK said it was “delighted” to welcome Cllr Millard to the party.

A spokesperson said: “He is an excellent addition to our growing team in Blaenau Gwent as we build towards the next Senedd and Westminster elections.”

However, Cllr Millard’s own website now says he resigned from Reform UK in August 2026 and has returned to being an “Unaligned Independent Councillor”.

No public announcement appears to have been made about his departure from the party.

His website previously described him as a “Reform UK Councillor dedicated to practical solutions, transparency, and community pride in Ebbw Vale South”.

It now states: “Councillor Jonathan Millard is an Unaligned Independent for Ebbw Vale South, served from 2017 to 2022 and was re-elected in February 2024 with 60% of the vote.”

The biography adds: “Jonathan joined Reform UK in December 2025, resigned in August 2026, and returned to being an Unaligned Independent Councillor.”

Cllr Millard did not give a reason for his resignation from Reform UK in the updated biography.

He also does not appear to have publicly announced his change in political status on social media or explained the decision to his constituents.

A political source in Blaenau Gwent told Nation.Cymru that Cllr Millard’s decision may have been linked to his failure to secure a place on Reform UK’s list of candidates for the May 2026 Senedd election.

The source said: “A lot of people were unhappy when Jonathan Millard joined Reform UK last year.

“From the looks of it he wanted get into the Senedd, then jumped ship when he wasn’t selected to stand.

“He made an announcement about joining Reform but it’s all quiet about him leaving.

“Jonathan keeps a low profile so maybe he hoped it wouldn’t get noticed.”

Cllr Millard had indicated in March that his future within Reform UK was uncertain after he was not selected for the party’s Senedd list for the Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni super constituency.

In a post on X, he appeared to criticise the candidates selected by Reform UK to stand in the May 7 Welsh election.

He wrote: “The Reform list for Blaenau Gwent/Caerphilly/Rhymney has prompted a proper local discussion: many fear Blaenau Gwent could be lost in the mix, with decisions shaped beyond our communities.

“Our towns deserve strong voices with real local understanding.

“I joined Reform UK after speaking with the local Chair & Vice Chair who shared those concerns.

“I wasn’t selected for the Senedd list, so I’ll reflect on my future in politics and within the party – but my priority remains the mandate from Ebbw Vale South: serving residents and delivering locally.”

The last time Cllr Millard mentioned Reform UK on X appears to have been in May, when he congratulated Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni MS Llŷr Powell on being appointed the party’s chief whip.

As recently as July 17, Cllr Millard was still publicly identifying himself as a Reform UK councillor.

In a Facebook post apologising for missing an important council vote, he signed off as “Cllr Jonathan Millard, Ebbw Vale South, Reform UK”.

But there appears to have been no further public references to Reform UK from Cllr Millard after this post.

His website now confirms that his brief spell with Reform UK lasted less than nine months.

Nation.Cymru contacted Cllr Millard to ask why he left Reform UK and if it had anything to do with his disappointment at not be selected to stand at the party at the Senedd election.

We also asked for his views on the party’s recent controversies over donations and police investigations, as well what he thought of Reform’s performance in the Senedd so far.

Cllr Millard did not respond.

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