Reform UK’s Controversial Recruit: Mike Young’s Scandal-Ridden Past Sparks Outrage...

Reform UK leaders may come to regret their decision after members claim they've inherited a political 'Poison Chalise', who will lead the party to its ultimate demise.

7th August 2025

In a move that has sent shockwaves through Reform UK, the party announced yesterday that it's welcomed former Conservative councillor Mike Young into its ranks, with the decision sparking a furious backlash, & members threatening to tear up their memberships en masse, citing Young’s long history of controversial headlines that rival even the most embattled former Labour councillors.

From council tax hikes to nuclear waste scandals, dishonesty claims, and a trail of failed businesses, Young’s past is a political cluster-bomb that Reform UK seems to have willingly stepped into.

Let’s unpack the string of controversies that have defined Mike Young’s career and ask: what was Reform UK thinking?

Council Tax Hike Fiasco (2020)

Mike Young was filmed publicly celebrating a council tax increase back in 2020

Mike Young first made headlines back in 2020, when he was filmed celebrating a contentious council tax increase during a Hartlepool Borough Council meeting.

Mike Youngs 'outburst' sparked a huge backlash on social media at the time

The footage, which showed Young banging the desk in apparent triumph, became a lightning rod for criticism as the tax hike added hundreds of pounds annually to the bills of already struggling households. The Hartlepool Independent Union had previously promised residents that their bills would not rise, a pledge that Young’s actions directly contradicted. In an attempt to deflect criticism recently after the video re-emerged, Young reportedly claimed yesterday evening that his celebration was not about the tax increase itself but rather the additional funding it secured for the council.

However, this explanation was met with ridicule, with locals and critics alike accusing him of lying once again to the electorate. The incident, even to this day remains a sore point, cementing Young’s reputation as a councillor who's totally out of touch with his constituents’ struggles.

Nuclear Waste Scandal (2021)

Many remember the Nuclear Waste scandal of 2021, which by rights, should have ended his political career

Young’s troubles then escalated in 2021 when he became embroiled in a high-profile controversy over a potential Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for radioactive waste on the outskirts of Hartlepool.

As deputy mayor and deputy leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, Young admitted to facilitating secret meetings between the council and the Wharton Trust, a local charity, to explore the possibility of storing nuclear waste in the area.

The revelation sparked a fierce war of words with Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who accused Young and others of orchestrating a “stitch-up” to turn Hartlepool into a “dumping ground for nuclear waste.”

Houchen publicly condemned the secretive nature of the talks, stating, “This stinks!… I hope this isn’t an attempted stitch up in secret to bring a highly dangerous nuclear waste dump to Hartlepool.”

Young defended his actions, claiming he was approached by Sacha Bedding, CEO of the Wharton Trust, about a government-backed Radioactive Waste Management plan that promised jobs and investment, culminating in a binding public vote after a decade-long consultation that Mike Young would have financially benefitted from.

Despite his assurances, the backlash was swift, and Young resigned as deputy leader and deputy mayor in August 2021, citing a lack of support from senior Conservatives.

The scandal not only cost Young his leadership roles but also exposed deep divisions within the local Conservative Party, with rumors of a “civil war” circulating at the time. The incident remains a stain on Young’s record, raising questions about his judgment and transparency.

Council Tax Dishonesty Claim (2023)

Mike Young was found guilty by a council standards investigation of lying to both the council & local residents over a proposed council tax freeze

In 2023, Young faced further scrutiny when he and fellow Conservative councillor Tom Cassidy were found guilty of breaching Hartlepool Borough Council’s code of conduct over misleading claims in a party leaflet.

The leaflet falsely stated that “no other political party in Hartlepool has ever frozen council tax” and claimed Young had “immediately instructed officers to start preparing for a budget that froze council tax.”

An independent investigation, costing local tax payers around £8,500, ruled these statements untrue, as they lacked factual basis and misrepresented the role of council officers.

The fallout was significant. Young was forced to issue a grovelling apology in the council chamber, a humiliating ordeal that contributed to the Conservatives losing their coalition control of Hartlepool Borough Council to Labour in the following year’s elections.

The investigation also led to Young being banned from participating in external council meetings, including those of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, further tarnishing his reputation as a trustworthy public servant.

Failed Businesses and Dubious Consultancy Roles

Mike Young was the financial consultant in the business which ran Eskimo Joes, a bar in Hartlepool's York Rd which collapsed owing tens of thousands of pounds to its creditors as well as a £50k bounce back loan controversy

Young’s controversies extend beyond politics into his business ventures, which have drawn significant criticism.

A Hartlepool Borough Council Exposed investigation revealed Young had set up multiple businesses under various names, many of which collapsed, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.

The exact number of failed ventures to this day remains unclear, but the pattern has raised questions about Young’s financial acumen and accountability.

Adding fuel to the fire, Young’s role as a “consultant” for a local businesses has come under intense scrutiny. In one particularly damning case, he was said to have been linked to a Hartlepool town centre bar which received a £50,000 bounce-back loan during the pandemic.

Shortly after, the business collapsed into insolvency, leaving a trail of debts to creditors. Reports then emerged alleging that the loan was used by the company’s director to purchase a house in Billingham, Teesside, rather than to support the business.

While Young has never been directly implicated in the misuse of funds, his association with the failed venture has fuelled accusations of incompetence and opportunism.

Reform UK’s Risky Gamble

The decision to bring Mike Young into Reform UK has left many party members both baffled and outraged. Social media posts on X reflect growing discontent, with some describing the party’s vetting process as “almost non-existent” and accusing Reform UK of becoming a “political lifeboat” for disgraced councillors looking to salvage their careers.

One source told the Teesside & Durham Post that Young’s inclusion risks alienating loyal members, drawing parallels to the collapse of the Hartlepool Independent Union, which dwindled to just one councillor after betraying voter trust.

Reform UK’s leadership, including Nigel Farage, have yet to publicly address the backlash, but the party’s recent focus on tackling council waste and inefficiency—highlighted in a Telegraph article about their “Doge units” inspired by Elon Musk’s cost-cutting schemes—stands in stark contrast to Young’s checkered financial history, with critics arguing that embracing a figure with such a controversial past undermines the party’s credibility as a reformist force.

A Political Liability

Mike Young’s track record—marked by a council tax betrayal, a nuclear waste scandal, dishonesty claims, and a string of failed businesses—paints a picture of a councillor whose ambition has often outpaced his judgment.

Reform UK’s decision to welcome him into the fold has sparked a crisis within the party, with members questioning whether their leadership has lost sight of its principles. As one disgruntled member put it, “At least some councillors know when to quit!”—a reference to claims Hartlepool Independent Union's Shane Moore, the only councillor left for the party is set not to defend his seat at the next elections, however it remains to be seen as to whether Reform UK will now regret not quitting on Young before his controversies drag the party down with him.

For now, the people of Hartlepool and Reform UK members alike are simply left wondering: how many more headlines can one councillor generate before his political career finally implodes?