By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
A Gloucestershire Reform UK candidate is considering legal action over comments made on social media by former Conservative MP Richard Graham.
Mr Graham took aim, in a Facebook post yesterday, at Daniel Woolf who is standing for the Hempsted and Westgate division at Shire Hall on May 1.
The former Gloucester MP calls on Reform UK to drop Mr Woolf, a former Conservative and UKIP candidate, who was dismissed as a grammar school teacher in 2016.
Other comments were made in the social media post which Mr Woolf disputes.
Reform UK said in a statement that Mr Graham is conflating two issues in a “desperate attempt to defame our candidate”.
They say the Tories are “running scared” of Reform and are “resorting to gutter tactics to try and halt their surge”.
In the public post, Mr Graham referenced a “glossy” brochure from Reform which he received at home in which Mr Woolf “proudly” says he was once a grammar school teacher.
“He did indeed teach at both Sir Thomas Rich’s and The Crypt School,” Mr Graham said.
“He was dismissed for gross misconduct from The Crypt.”
“If you’re dismissed from a position of trust at a school you should not be asking for the trust of voters as a councillor for a council whose responsibilities include education – least of all for the division which includes the school from which you were dismissed.
“So Dan’s time as a grammar school teacher, far from being a reason to vote for him, is a reason he shouldn’t be a candidate at all.”
Mr Woolf said he is considering legal action over Mr Graham’s post.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Mr Graham is conflating two issues in a desperate attempt to defame our candidate.
“It’s clear the Tories are running scared of Reform if they are resorting to gutter tactics to try and halt our surge.
“This kind of behaviour shows exactly why Gloucester voters made the right call in kicking Mr Graham out of Parliament.
“Now voters have the chance to clear the rest of the failed Tories out of Gloucestershire on Thursday.”
Mr Woolf is standing in the Hempsted and Westgate division.
Other candidates standing are Steve Gower of the Workers Party of Britain, Independent Brendon O’Donnell, Deborah Oldham of the Green Party, Labour Party candidate Jag Thangella, Conservative Pam Tracey and Liberal Democrat Rebecca Trimnell.
Information on candidates and the major parties contesting the election can be found here.