Former Reform UK MP James McMurdock Indicates Permanent Party Exit After Legal Review of Business Conduct
James McMurdock, the former Reform UK MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, has said he will not rejoin the party after receiving legal guidance regarding his business activities linked to Covid loans.
McMurdock stepped down from the party last week ahead of a report by the *Sunday Times*, which raised concerns about loans amounting to tens of thousands of pounds.
On Tuesday, McMurdock confirmed he would continue serving as an independent MP rather than seek reinstatement with Reform UK.
“I have now consulted a specialist legal expert in this area,” he wrote on X. “Based on that advice, which I will keep confidential for now, I have chosen to remain an independent MP so I can fully dedicate myself to representing my constituents.”
McMurdock initially stated he had voluntarily suspended his party affiliation as a “precaution” and to “protect Reform UK.”
The *Sunday Times* reported that McMurdock obtained £70,000 in government-backed Covid recovery loans in 2020.
One loan, for £50,000, was granted to JAM Financial Ltd, a company with no employees and minimal assets before the pandemic. To qualify for such a loan, firms were typically required to have a turnover of at least £200,000. Records indicate McMurdock stepped down as director in 2021 and transferred his shares.
A second company under his ownership, Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited, reportedly borrowed £20,000. Eligibility for this loan would normally require turnover of £100,000. Official filings show the firm had no employees and negligible assets prior to the pandemic.
Both companies were scheduled for removal from the Companies House register in 2023. However, the deregistration was paused after an objection from an unnamed party.
McMurdock told the Sunday Times: “All my business dealings were conducted lawfully and in full compliance with regulations, with all activity reviewed by qualified professionals.”
His resignation makes him the second of Reform UK’s five MPs elected in September to leave, following Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth. The party briefly returned to five MPs after Sarah Pochin won a byelection but now stands at four.
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