Former Reform group leader quits council

The former leader of Staffordshire's Reform UK group has resigned as a councillor.

Chris Large, who represented Brewood on Staffordshire County Council, said he had stepped down following a close family bereavement.

He was on the verge of becoming the authority's leader in February after he was chosen to head the controlling Reform group, but quit the role before his formal selection could take place.

Large had been scrutinised over social media use at the end of last year, when he denied writing or endorsing racist comments on TikTok.

Since he left Reform, he had been representing Brewood as an independent until this week's resignation.

He said representing the community was a "great honour" that demanded "significant time and energy".

"Following the loss of a close family member and continuing health issues, I'm no longer able to give the role what it needs," he explained.

"So I have taken the difficult decision to resign as county councillor for Brewood. I wish my successor every success."

The council said details for the by-election would be published in due course.

Large became a Reform councillor during the 2025 local elections, in which the party won 49 out of 62 available seats in Staffordshire.

He was selected by the group to replace council leader Ian Cooper, who had stood down amid racism allegations linked to his social media accounts.

In his own case, Large claimed the TikTok account was shared among a number of people, and added he fully condemned the content of the offensive remarks.

He resigned as Reform group leader on 4 February, five days after he was elected, citing personal reasons.

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