Hartlepool Councillor Facing Calls to Stand Down after Expulsion from Reform Party.

Former Hartlepool Labour Councillor Aaron Roy is facing calls to quit after being expelled from Reform UK just weeks after defecting from labour.

Hartlepool Councillor Facing Calls to Quit, After St George’s Flag Row...

2nd May 2026

A Hartlepool Councillor is facing calls to quit after sensationally being ousted from Reform UK just weeks after defecting from the Labour Party.

Cllr Aaron Roy is said to be facing growing calls to resign from Hartlepool Borough Council after being expelled from Reform UK following the emergence of WhatsApp comments he reportedly made about the St George’s Cross.

The Hart ward councillor, who only recently defected from Labour to Reform UK weeks ago, has now been removed from his new party after leaked WhatsApp messages were reported to a national newspaper. The row centres on comments he allegedly made during a debate over flags being flown in Hartlepool, in which Cllr Roy reportedly said he was “not aligned” with the St George’s Cross describing it as a “crusade” symbol, while suggesting he would rather see the Union Jack used as a unifying flag.

The comments have sparked anger among some residents and political opponents, with critics now arguing that his position as a councillor is no longer tenable. While Reform UK’s decision removes him from the party, it does not automatically remove him from Hartlepool Borough Council, where unless a councillor resigns, is disqualified under law, or loses their seat at an election, they can usually continue to sit as an independent or unaffiliated councillor.

The controversy has also intensified after attention turned to Cllr Roy’s own public biography, in which he describes himself as the founder of Mariners United Sporting Club CIC. In that biography, Cllr Roy says the club was founded as a “BAME football club” with the specific aim of integrating the Indian community, particularly students and young people, through sport. He describes the project as one designed to promote youth empowerment, cultural inclusion and grassroots cohesion.

However, some critics have now seized upon that wording, questioning whether a club publicly described around BAME identity would be viewed differently if it had been framed around any other racial or cultural background. Supporters of Cllr Roy are argue that the club’s stated purpose is inclusion, not exclusion, and that its wider work includes football, Kabaddi, training, mentoring and community cohesion. Mariners United’s own website describes its mission as using sport to “foster community cohesion through inclusive sports.”

The row has nevertheless created a serious political headache for Cllr Roy, who has already faced scrutiny after leaving Labour for Reform UK. His expulsion now raises questions over whether voters in Hartlepool's Hart ward are being represented by the political mandate they originally supported, or whether the public should be given a chance to decide again at the ballot box.

No Question he should stand down one local said

One local said there should now be “no question” that Cllr Roy should stand down, arguing that although Reform UK had removed him from the party, that did not mean he would automatically lose his council seat. They added that Cllr Roy had spoken recently about transparency and should now “come clean and move on” from local and national politics.

The case is particularly damaging because Reform UK has placed national identity, flags and patriotism at the centre of much of its recent political messaging. The party has reportedly said Cllr Roy’s views did not align with its values and moved quickly to expel him once the comments were made public.

Cllr Roy, according to the national report, defended the comments by saying they were about “perception and perspective” rather than an attack on the flag itself. He has also reportedly said he is proud of England.

But for his critics, the issue is now wider than one leaked exchange. They argue that the combination of his St George’s flag comments, his rapid movement from Labour to Reform, and the renewed scrutiny of his political and community work has left his position weakened.

For now, unless Cllr Roy resigns, is subject to a successful standards process, or is otherwise legally disqualified, he is likely to remain a Hartlepool councillor. But politically, the pressure is clearly mounting — and the question now being asked in Hartlepool is whether Cllr Roy can continue to command public confidence after being rejected by the very party he joined only weeks ago.

An unusual political move

Its also claimed Cllr Roy had.... Unsuccessfully attempted to gain Membership with the Green Party & 'Your Party' the political movement headed by former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn before joining reform, adding yet another complicated layer to Roy's move to a party that was politically at polar opposites to his own ideology.