Councillor who bullied and harrassed disabled people now SEND boss at Reform-led Essex County Council

Things are going swimmingly for Reform UK since their vile rhetoric won them a vast amount of seats in the local council elections, including an unprecedented win at Essex County Council.

In the 11 days since, eight newly elected Reform councillors have resigned, six have been suspended, four have defected, and one has been sacked.

But we also need to keep an eye on what those who still have power are up to.

Over then to Essex County Council, where one councillor has already resigned after he came under scrutiny for celebrating two Sikh women being raped.

Essex County Council has this week appointed cabinet members and as you’d expect, it’s a shambles.

Essex cabinet selection raises questions of suitability

Sam Journet has been appointed as the new head of education, SEND and skills. Last year he posted a video on his X account of a disabled man whom he accused of attacking his carers.

The posted video doesn’t show anyone being violent, just a learning disabled man doing his shopping. Yet in the post, Journet said:

Why are we wasting £300+ a day on someone who needs to be locked up for assault, breaching the peace and causing alarm and distress.

A concerned Essex resident shared his frustrations that Journet had been appointed on the Castle Point Community Facebook group. He wrote:

I’m genuinely really concerned that Essex County Council’s new cabinet member for education, SEND and skills is someone who was posting things like this shortly after being elected.

Whatever your politics, that tone and attitude towards vulnerable people just doesn’t sit right with me at all.

In April, Byline Times reported that Journet was told to undertake council training and apologise, but there is no apology online and as you can see, the post is still available.

It’s bad enough that a man who belittled and harassed a disabled man has just been put in charge of SEND on the council, but it gets worse.

Bullying dyslexic councillor and harassing council staff

Journet has also been appointed leader of Basildon Borough Council, which forms part of Essex County Council.

In September 2025, he was arrested after council staff and other elected officials raised concerns of stalking and harassment. This came after Journet took to wearing Meta glasses and filming all interactions with staff, councillors and members of the public in September.

Byline Times wrote that Essex Police didn’t charge Journet, but conditions were put in place to stop him from contacting two of the councillors he’d allegedly targeted.

In the run-up to the elections, another Reform councillor said she wasn’t selected to run for re-election due to Journet bullying her because of being dyslexic. Sarah Shields also accused him of spreading lies to other members.

On Facebook in April, she shared:

I would like to formally state it is true that Sam Journet has been bullying me. His behaviour has caused significant issues between the Wickford and Rayleigh branches, resulting in Nick Cooper and Adi (branch officials) believing information about me that is not accurate. As a consequence, I have not been put forward for re-election.

Shields says she attempted to address this with Reform’s eastern region director, Dave Holland, but Holland was rude and swore at her.

Shields continued:

Over a period of months, Sam has subjected me to name-calling, including referring to me as “thick” because I am dyslexic. This has been particularly upsetting. Throughout my life I have struggled with dyslexia, but I have always worked hard to support my loving family and to achieve my goals.

Being spoken to in this way made me feel inadequate, undermined and ostracised from those I thought were on my side.

The former councillor said she also raised concerns with Reform’s chairperson, Dr David Bull, in March, but was told no action would be taken.

As a result of the bullying, false allegations and no action being taken when raising these deep concerns, I had no choice but to resign from Reform UK.

If the party is prepared to stand by someone engaging in bullying behaviour, then it is not the right party for me.

Reform will only protect privileged white men

No offence to Shields, but the writing has been on the wall for how Reform treats disabled people for a long time.

What’s clear here is that despite how much white women think Reform will protect them, its members will always side with a white man. The fact that so many people, women especially, have complained about Journet to Basildon Council and Reform UK, and he’s been promoted, shows just who Reform UK represents.

Unless you’re a privileged white man, you’ll lose every time.

Featured image via X/ ReformUKSam

By Rachel Charlton-Dailey

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