More on KentOnline
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A senior Reform UK member has been suspended after a video emerged showing him launching a drunken tirade of abuse towards another member.
In the clip William Fotheringham-Bray, the now former Sittingbourne and Sheppey branch chairman, made “unacceptable” remarks about Swale local branch chairman Maxwell Harrison.
Mr Fotheringham-Bray had run to become MP of the Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency in the general election last year, winning 10,512 votes.
But a Reform UK spokesman told KentOnline today (March 16) his “membership has been suspended pending an investigation”.
KentOnline has approached Mr Maxwell twice via his branch email address but has not received a reply.
Mr Fotheringham-Bray told KentOnline he had been on the way home from a night out when he took the video and that he was drunk.
He sent the 39-second outburst to a Reform group chat before it was picked up by the social media page Reform Party UK Exposed at 9.12am yesterday (March 15).
In the clip, seen by KentOnline, he starts by putting his fingers to his lips and saying “Shh”.
Around an hour after the video surfaced the member took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and simply posted “Oops”.
After being contacted by KentOnline he then apologised in a post at 5.49pm.
He said: “Well today has been an eventful day, to say the least.
“I [would] like to apologise to all my colleagues in Reform for my unacceptable behaviour and comments.
“I'll be taking a step back. Till next time all.”
One commenter on his post said that his behaviour was “regretful”.
He added: “Do us all a favour and remove your reference to Reform, you have moved on.”
Today (March 16) he told KentOnline he made the comments because he felt disheartened with the direction of the party in recent months.
The infighting comes after a high-profile bust-up between Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and MP Rupert Lowe.
The 67-year-old MP for Great Yarmouth was suspended by the party last Friday (March 7) amid allegations about his conduct, which he denies.
A police investigation was launched on Tuesday (March 11) into alleged “verbal threats” made by a 67-year-old man between December 2024 and February 2025.
It is not the first time Reform UK has had to take action over the behaviour of some of its Kent members.
Last month KentOnline reported the party had to drop a candidate for the Tower Hamlets by-election in Dover on polling day after he launched abuse towards a rival over Facebook.
Cllr Simon Odell was suspended following his bizarre exchange with independent contender Travis Skelton after he shunned his offer to “collaborate” in a private message.
Odell, who won the election, even sent a picture of his middle finger during the tirade.
On the most recent suspension, a Reform spokesperson said: “Mr Fotheringham-Bray is not a Reform UK branch chairman and his membership has been suspended pending investigation."
