Reform UK has appointed Jaymey McIvor, a former Conservative candidate expelled from the party for allegedly sending an unsolicited explicit image, to a new role supporting parliamentary candidates. A leaked email indicates McIvor will assist in the management of potential MPs for Nigel Farage's party.
Sources within Reform suggested McIvor's role would be limited to proposing constituencies for candidates, not vetting them. However, Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake criticized the appointment, stating it undermines Reform's pledges for candidate vetting.
McIvor was a Tory parliamentary candidate until shortly before the 2024 general election, when the party announced his suspension. He was formally expelled following a disciplinary hearing in October of that year.
The specifics of the complaint against McIvor surfaced at a public council meeting when Labour councillor Aidan McGurran stated the reason for his expulsion was sending an unsolicited explicit image, which he described as a criminal offense. McIvor has denied these claims, asserting he chose to leave the Conservative Party. Reform sources indicated that the Conservatives have not provided evidence against McIvor and accused the party of lacking credibility on vetting standards, citing their hiring of a former neo-Nazi as an anti-extremism advisor.