Reform UK Councillor Emma Beck Convicted of Assault, Fined £180 After St Helens Election
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 23
Reform UK Councillor Emma Beck Convicted of Assault, Fined £180 After St Helens Election
4 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 23
Emma Beck, 47, was elected to St Helens Council after being convicted in January of assault by beating for shoving a woman in her 60s to the floor while working pub doors.
The case was not aired during the campaign; Beck has appealed, and Reform UK said it would wait for the legal outcome before commenting.
The Security Industry Authority has opened an investigation into whether Beck, a licensed door supervisor, met rules requiring convictions or charges for relevant offences to be reported within two days.
The conviction carried a £180 fine and £100 compensation order, below the threshold that would bar a candidate from standing in local elections.
The case adds to scrutiny of Reform's vetting in Merseyside after one newly elected councillor quit over Holocaust-hoax posts and another resigned, triggering a by-election, over explicit online content.
How did a councillor elected to fight crime hide her own assault conviction from voters?
As scandals plague its new councillors, is Reform UK's vetting process collapsing under the strain of success?