Reform UK councillor Christine Duffy attempted to resign from Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council in early August, citing a lack of training, but sent her resignation letter to the wrong council — Kidsgrove Town Council, which she left in October 2024. She later withdrew the resignation and remains a councillor.
Resignation letter sent to wrong council
Duffy, elected in May as part of a significant surge for Reform UK, submitted a letter of resignation on August 4 to Kidsgrove Town Council. According to the BBC, the letter stated she was stepping down because she had received “very little or no training for this role.” The notice was then passed to the proper officer at Newcastle-Under-Lyme Council, but by that time Duffy had decided to withdraw it.
Duffy previously served on Kidsgrove Town Council but left that role in October 2024 and has not been a member since.
Councillor claims letter exploited for political purposes
In a post on the Reform UK Newcastle-Under-Lyme Facebook page, Duffy said she was “appalled” that her letter had “somehow been obtained by the Kidsgrove Independents” and argued it was “now being exploited for party political purposes.”
“My position could not be clearer. I remain a Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Councillor for the Town ward and will continue carrying out the role I was elected to do,” she wrote. “I hope this brings an end to the speculation and political games surrounding this matter.”
Official confirms withdrawal and continued service
Gordon Mole, chief executive of Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council, confirmed to the BBC that Duffy would continue to sit on the council after withdrawing the notice. “If a councillor wishes to resign then they must follow a specific process as set out in the Local Government Act 1972,” he said. “In this instance a letter was hand-delivered to an incorrect address at Kidsgrove Town Council. By the time it was received by me, as the proper officer, I had been notified that the content of the letter had been withdrawn and the councillor concerned continues to serve as a borough councillor.”
