A newly elected councillor for Reform UK has been identified as a performer in numerous gay pornographic videos, operating under the pseudonym 'Lachlan Taylor UK'. Stephen Mousdell, who secured a seat for Haydock in St Helens, was found to have engaged in public sex acts online, according to an investigation by LBC.
While no criminal wrongdoing is alleged, the Common Law stipulates that a sexual act in public could constitute 'Outraging Public Decency'. Mousdell's OnlyFans account describes him as a 'gay pornstar and DJ', inviting collaboration. On X, his profile picture shows him in military attire, with a bio listing his height at 5ft 7ins, shoe size eight, and an 8.5-inch appendage. His banner includes terms like Tradie, Army, Biker, Chav, and Scally, and he expresses a preference for 'workies', 'truckers', 'bears', and 'stocky blokes'.
Public reaction has been mixed. One user commented, 'Don't care about the porn star thing. The fact he is supporting reform is what's disgusting.' However, a Reform spokesperson defended Mousdell, stating, 'While Cllr Mousdell's lifestyle choices may not be to everyone's taste, he has not broken the law. What consenting adults do in their private lives is their own business. The electorate were fully aware of Cllr Mousdell's lifestyle choices weeks before the election and still decided to elect Stephen as their councillor. Cllr Mousdell is an asset to his local community, even receiving the St Helens Mayor's Good Citizen Award for his services to the borough.'
This revelation follows a pattern of scrutiny for Reform UK officials elected in recent elections. Another councillor, Stuart Prior, resigned after being accused of making racist posts describing white people as 'the master race' with 'larger brains'. Prior, who was expelled from the party, denied the comments. Additionally, Nathaniel Menday, a newly elected councillor for Sheffield City Council, was suspended for failing to declare social media posts hailing Nazis as 'real visionaries'. Menday, who calls himself an 'ethno-nationalist', made antisemitic comments and shared images of swastikas and Hitler's Mein Kampf. He later stated, 'I am not antisemitic nor do I have any Nazi sympathies. I have flirted with what could reasonably be referred to as 'far-right ideology', but ultimately I have come to reject its core tenets.'
The controversy highlights ongoing debates about the conduct and backgrounds of elected officials within Reform UK.
