The Reform UK councillor was found guilty of making a false statement about a Conservative candidate
A councillor has been forced out of the council after being convicted of breaking electoral law, sparking a by-election. Andy Osborn was chairman of the North East Cambridgeshire Reform Party when he made a social media post about a Conservative candidate in April 2025.
He was convicted of making or publishing a false statement under the Representation of the People Act 1983 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in April of this year. The court heard that Osborn wrote on Facebook: “Samantha Hoy worked in the care industry but allegedly was sacked for fraud no wonder Wisbech is in such a state. Reform UK will fix it.”
Cllr Hoy works in the care industry and has never been sacked or faced fraud allegations. She told a meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council that speaking as a witness in court was “a daunting experience”.
She said: “I don’t want to pretend that what happened to me was the worst thing in the world because actually people every day go through far worse things than what happened to me. But I also don’t want us to just quietly accept that abuse in public life is okay.”
The county council said that Osborn failed to launch an appeal before the deadline, despite telling them he would on “two separate occasions”. Voters in his former ward of Roman Bank and Peckover will head to the polls to elect a replacement on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
Candidates must hand in their nomination papers to the offices of Fenland District Council at Fenland Hall during normal office hours before 4pm on Friday, May 29.
Applications to register to vote must reach the electoral office by midnight on Tuesday, June 9, and can be made online.
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