Latest news with #EdHill
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Reform UK councillor expelled from party
A Reform UK councillor who was elected to Devon County Council in May has been expelled from the party. Reform UK said it had expelled Ed Hill for publishing a letter about free school meals in the name of all Reform Devon councillors without their consent. In June it emerged Hill had reported two fellow Reform councillors to police over election expenses. HIll, the member for Pinhoe and Mincinglake, said there had been a misunderstanding which led him to believe he could add his colleagues' names as signatories. 'Unacceptable' A Reform UK spokesman said Hill's actions "damaged the interests of the party". The spokesman said: "We will not tolerate any councillor using their colleagues' names without their consent." Hill sent the letter to all of Devon's MPs and to the media asking them to support automatic enrolment for free school meals. Michael Fife Cook is leader of the Reform group on Devon County Council, which now has 17 members. He said: "Irrespective of something being a good cause, attaching councillors' names to a letter without their consent is totally unacceptable behaviour. "That Cllr Hill not only did this, but then made the letter public - including sending it to the media and MPs - meant disciplinary action was inevitable." Hill said he genuinely believed he had secured the permission of colleagues via one of the Reform councillors. "I think it feels like an overreaction and I'm still committed to the Reform cause," he said. "Nobody from Reform contacted me about the suspension before it happened." Hill was previously removed from his role as chairman of the Exeter branch of Reform after reporting colleagues to police over concerns relating to overspending on election expenses. He said: "Had I been able to communicate directly with my fellow councillors through formal party channels - instead of being excluded from all internal communications - this confusion could have been easily avoided." Reform UK said it would not be taking any action against Neil Stevens, member for Alphington and Cowick, regarding his election expense return. Devon and Cornwall Police said there had been no arrests or charges at this point, but enquiries remain ongoing. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Reform wins first seats on Devon County Council Related internet links Devon County Council
BBC News
7 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Reform UK councillor Ed Hill expelled from party
A Reform UK councillor who was elected to Devon County Council in May has been expelled from the UK said it had expelled Ed Hill for publishing a letter about free school meals in the name of all Reform Devon councillors without their June it emerged Hill had reported two fellow Reform councillors to police over election the member for Pinhoe and Mincinglake, said there had been a misunderstanding which led him to believe he could add his colleagues' names as signatories. 'Unacceptable' A Reform UK spokesman said Hill's actions "damaged the interests of the party".The spokesman said: "We will not tolerate any councillor using their colleagues' names without their consent."Hill sent the letter to all of Devon's MPs and to the media asking them to support automatic enrolment for free school Fife Cook is leader of the Reform group on Devon County Council, which now has 17 said: "Irrespective of something being a good cause, attaching councillors' names to a letter without their consent is totally unacceptable behaviour."That Cllr Hill not only did this, but then made the letter public - including sending it to the media and MPs - meant disciplinary action was inevitable." Hill said he genuinely believed he had secured the permission of colleagues via one of the Reform councillors."I think it feels like an overreaction and I'm still committed to the Reform cause," he said."Nobody from Reform contacted me about the suspension before it happened."Hill was previously removed from his role as chairman of the Exeter branch of Reform after reporting colleagues to police over concerns relating to overspending on election said: "Had I been able to communicate directly with my fellow councillors through formal party channels - instead of being excluded from all internal communications - this confusion could have been easily avoided."Reform UK said it would not be taking any action against Neil Stevens, member for Alphington and Cowick, regarding his election expense and Cornwall Police said there had been no arrests or charges at this point, but enquiries remain ongoing.
ITV News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Devon councillor expelled from Reform UK claims he was 'ostracised' by local party
A Devon councillor who has been expelled by Reform UK claims he was "systemically ostracised" by the Party after reporting two fellow Reform councillors to the police over election expenses. Cllr Ed Hill, who represents Pinhoe and Mincinglake, has had his membership revoked after writing to MPs about free school meals and allegedly signing it from all Devon Reform councillors without their consent. In a statement, Reform UK said Mr Hill's actions "damaged the interests of the party". The letter in question was calling for national auto-enrolment of free meals, which Mr Hill argues would "transform the lives of thousands of children across Devon and the UK". Cllr Michael Fife Cook, Leader of the Reform Group on Devon Council, said: "Irrespective of something being a good cause, attaching councillors' names to a letter without their consent is totally unacceptable behaviour. "That Cllr Hill not only did this, but then made the letter public - including sending it to the media and MPs - meant disciplinary action was inevitable." In May's local elections, Reform UK won 18 seats on Devon County Council and became the second biggest party on the authority behind the Liberal Democrats. The first signs of division within the group came when Mr Hill reported two of his council colleagues - and an election agent - to the police over election expenses. Since then, he claims he has been "systemically ostracised from internal party communication", including being removed from WhatsApp groups, meetings and communication with colleagues. In a WhatsApp exchange seen by ITV West Country, Mr Hill attempted to ask his fellow Reform councillors if they'd be happy to sign the letter about free school meals, which was addressed to all of Devon's MPs and published on social media. One councillor said: "They will sign the letter, they just won't join this group.' "In the absence of any objections or direct communication to the contrary, I reasonably and in good faith interpreted this as consent," Mr Hill said in a statement. "Let's be clear: this incident is being used as a pretext," he added. "Since reporting a fellow Reform UK councillor to the police for suspected electoral offences, I have been systematically ostracised from internal party communication — removed from WhatsApp groups, excluded from meetings, and shut out from coordination with my own colleagues. If Reform UK had maintained proper internal channels, this situation would never have occurred. "The letter I sent was about feeding hungry children and unlocking millions in school funding through Free School Meal auto-enrolment. I stand by every word of it. "This is not just a personal matter. It raises wider questions about how Reform UK treats whistleblowers, how it manages internal discipline, and whether it can honestly claim to support transparency and accountability." Mr Hill will continue to represent Pinhoe and Mincinglake as an independent councillor and has appealed the decision to expel him from Reform UK. Regarding the police report in relation to election expenses, Reform UK says: "We understand an application for relief is being submitted in respect of the election expense return of Cllr Neil Stevens and, on the basis of the information we have received, we are confident this will be successful."
CBS News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Is baseball still America's pastime? In Philadelphia suburbs, the game still withstands test of time
The game of baseball has been there through wars and desperate times. It's been labeled America's pastime, but today's world offers many more options for our children to choose from. With MLB at its All-Star break, we set out to Montgomery and Delaware counties to take the pulse of the game that has been the rhythm of our summer for years. Has the pastime passed us by? After 16 years as a coach, tournament team director and serving on the board of directors, Ed Hill took over as president of the Nor-Gwyn Baseball and Softball Association in September 2024. Baseball is a family affair for Hill. Three of his kids have played or currently play at Nor-Gwyn. "My whole summer revolved around baseball when I was a kid," Hill said. "The game is still there for me, and I passed it on to my kids. I do think baseball is still America's pastime. I go back to the history of it." The exact origins of baseball as we know it today are unknown. For years, Civil War hero Abner Doubleday was credited with inventing the game, but many historians now consider that to be a myth. Baseball's origins likely date back to the early 1800s, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. "Baseball has been through so much. It's basically withstood the test of time," baseball historian Jim Vankoski said. "Where would we be without baseball? It's the only game I can think of that's not played on a rectangle. You've got that diamond. Diamonds are forever." Vankoski is one of the curators and faces of the Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum, which is "dedicated to preserving the history and memory of Delaware County sports legends," according to its website. Vankoski doesn't believe baseball will disappear from America's consciousness. In fact, MLB saw its largest attendance in seven years in the 2024 season. Rule changes implemented in 2023 to create more action appear to have made a difference. However, the narrative persists that baseball isn't as popular as other sports. "It doesn't seem to be a neighborhood sport like it used to be," Vankoski said. Chez Angeloni pitched at Johns Hopkins University before signing with the Boston Red Sox in 2009. He pitched in 34 games over two years in the Red Sox's system. Now, Angeloni co-owns Player Development Systems, a baseball training and development program, in the Philadelphia area. Angeloni said baseball is still his pastime, but he added that it's an interesting time, given the current landscape, particularly with the rise of Name, Image, and Likeness in college sports. Another factor in play, according to Angeloni, is screen time. "There are a lot of kids in front of screens today. That's an obvious thing," Angeloni said. "You're not going to dispute that. Because if you don't like to just hit balls, if you don't like to go out and practice, it's not going to happen." For Dillon Souvignier, a senior first baseman at Johns Hopkins, baseball has been his life since he can remember. "Baseball has been, literally, the main focus and kind of the main thing that I get to look forward to in my life literally since I was 4 years old," Souvignier said. Souvignier acknowledges that the NFL or NBA might be more fun to watch on TV, but "baseball is still really strong for the people who care." Will Matteson manages the Doylestown American Legion baseball team. "It's the best game for a lot of reasons," Matteson said. "I think there's a lot of uncontrollables, and it teaches you how to deal with life. This is a game that you can do everything right in and still fail."
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Reform Devon county councillors reported to police by colleague
Infighting in the Reform UK party in Devon has seen two county councillors and an election agent reported to police by a colleague over election Stevens and his brother Tony were elected for Reform in May and documents seen by the BBC allege Neil Stevens spent about £170 more than the campaign spending was reported to police by Ed Hill, who was also elected for Reform in May and was the chairman of the Exeter branch but was removed from the post for what the party says was bringing it "into disrepute".Neil Stevens said he misunderstood the process and his election agent Rob Sheridan said he was "confident" there were no errors. Tony Stevens declined to comment. The Reform UK party won 18 seats in the Devon County Council elections held on 1 May - becoming the second biggest party on the council behind the Liberal Stevens won the Alphington and Cowick seat with 1,126 votes - 72 votes ahead of the Labour candidate Yvonne Atkinson, with the Liberal Democrats a close third on 1,030 county council elections, spending limits are set in each ward according to the number of Alphington and Cowick the limit was set at £1,827.04 - however the election expenditure return papers for Stevens show he spent £1, was previously the election agent for Stevens but papers seen by the BBC show Sheridan was appointed as election agent on 3 June, a day before the election expenses forms were also alleges that a £250 podcast recording expense claimed by Tony Stevens, who won his Exwick and St Thomas seat by 22 votes, should be split equally between the brothers - further raising the expenditure of Neil said he reported his concerns relating to Sheridan and Neil and Tony Stevens to the police and to the Electoral Commission on 1 said he had made "a clear promise to the people of Exeter" to "hold our candidates and councillors to the same high standards we expect of others".A spokesman from the national Reform UK party told the BBC: "Ed Hill has been removed as chairman of Reform UK Exeter after bringing the party into disrepute."There's currently an ongoing internal investigation into the matter so we won't be commenting further." Neil Stevens told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he believed the spending limit only related to the money he had personally contributed to his campaign – £1,703.60 – and not to donations of £292.12 he received, meaning he believed he was below the spending told the LDRS he was "confident" there were no errors and that third parties had checked added further checks to the returns were now being made, and if there had been an error, then an amended return would be filed. Exceeding limits on candidate expenses can lead to an unlimited fine, while making a false declaration attracts the same punishment and/or up to six months in prison for a less serious summary conviction, or up to 12 months on indictment, according to the College of Policing.A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said the spending limit applied "to all spending during the regulated period in the run up to the local elections" including any personal money spent and donations received. It said: "Any allegations of spending over the limit would be a matter for the police."Devon and Cornwall Police did not respond to requests for comment.
