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Telegraph
08-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Suspended Reform MP quits amid pandemic business dealings row
James McMurdock has announced that he has permanently quit Reform UK amid allegations surrounding his 'business propriety during the pandemic'. Mr McMurdock, the MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock said he had decided to remain as an independent in the House of Commons following 'specialist legal advice'. He had previously said that he had asked for the party whip to be temporarily suspended as a 'precautionary measure and for the protection of Reform UK '. In a statement on X on Tuesday, Mr McMurdock wrote: 'I have now had a chance to take specialist legal advice from an expert in the relevant field. 'In light of that advice, which is privileged and which I choose to keep private at this time, I have decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP where I can focus 100 per cent on the interests of my constituents.' It comes after allegations, published in The Sunday Times, about pandemic era Bounce Back loans, amounting to £70,000, that Mr McMurdock took out via two companies. It reported that Jam Financial Limited, one of his firms, allegedly received £50,000 in 2020, the largest loan available for medium-sized businesses with an annual turnover of more than £200,000. Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited, another of his businesses, allegedly took out a £20,000 loan in 2020, which would have required an annual turnover of more than £100,000. Jam Financial Limited allegedly had no employees and negligible assets until the pandemic, and Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited was also dormant until Jan 31 2020. In a statement on X last weekend, Mr McMurdock said that 'all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations'. 'Poorly treated and deserves better' Reform is now back down to four sitting MPs in the House of Commons, having seen five elected at last year's general election. It gained another MP, Sarah Pochin, after beating Labour in May's Runcorn and Helsby by-election. Mr McMurdock has become the second MP to quit the party following the departure of Rupert Lowe earlier this year. Mr Lowe, who was expelled from Reform in March, offered words of support on X to Mr Murdock, whom he claimed had been 'poorly treated and deserves better'. The Great Yarmouth MP had been removed from the party over allegations of workplace bullying and threats against its chairman, which he has strongly denied. Reform referred Mr Lowe to the police over the alleged threats against Zia Yusuf, with the Crown Prosecution Service later confirming he would face no charges.
Telegraph
07-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Reform did ‘zero' checks on suspended MP, admits Farage
Reform UK did 'zero' due diligence on James McMurdock before he was elected as an MP, Nigel Farage has admitted. The MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock left the party on Saturday amid allegations surrounding his 'business propriety' during the pandemic. The Reform party leader said that there had been no due diligence conducted prior to Mr McMurdock's selection, but that the party had since 'professionalised' its vetting process. He told LBC: 'There was no due diligence on him at all. Zero. I mean, I inherited this. 'I said after the general election last year that I'd put proper professional vetting in place. I've done that. 'We fielded more candidates than anybody on May 1. There was hardly any arguments at all.' He added: 'I can't verify the future of everybody going ahead, but have we now professionalised the party to stop this sort of thing ever happening again? Yes.' Mr Farage also refused to rule out Mr McMurdock's return to the party pending the outcome of any party investigations into the claims. The Sunday Times alleged that Mr McMudock borrowed £70,000 for two businesses under the Government's Bounce Back loan scheme during the Covid-19 pandemic. It reported that Jam Financial Limited, one of Mr McMurdock's firms, allegedly received £50,000 in 2020, the largest loan available for medium-sized businesses with an annual turnover of more than £200,000. Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited, another of Mr McMurdock's businesses, allegedly took out a £20,000 loan in 2020, which would have required an annual turnover of more than £100,000. Jam Financial Limited allegedly had no employees and negligible assets until the pandemic, and Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited was also dormant until Jan 31 2020. Mr McMurdock said in a statement on X that 'all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations'. He added that he asked for the whip to be suspended as a 'precautionary measure' and 'for the protection of Reform UK'. Statement from James McMurdock. Thursday evening I received a phone call from a journalist who followed an extremely aggressive and clumsy line of questioning where he confused assets, profit, and turnover. He confirmed that the phone call was off the record and I advised him… — James McMurdock MP (@JamesReform) July 5, 2025 Mr McMurdock unexpectedly won his Essex seat at last year's election, securing a majority of just 98 over Labour. Shortly after his win, reports emerged about a historic conviction for assaulting a former girlfriend. Earlier on Monday, Mr Farage warned Reform councillors that they must behave with 'integrity'. He told Kent county council members that 'behaving with integrity is a responsibility upon all of you' but said that this did not mean they should be 'stuffed shirts'. The local authority is the largest that Mr Farage's party controls, after Reform made sweeping gains at the local elections in May. Zia Yusuf was brought into Reform last summer as the party chairman, who would be responsible for the professionalisation of the party. Last month, Mr Yusuf dramatically resigned from the party, announcing on X: 'I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.' He returned to the party just two days later, saying that his decision to quit had been 'born of exhaustion'. Mr McMurdock is the second MP to have left the party since last year's election. The party expelled Rupert Lowe in March over allegations of workplace bullying and threats against its chairman, which he has strongly denied.
