Mason Humberstone blasts Starmer’s ‘metropolitan elite’ Labour despite attending less than a third of council meetings
Labour suffered its first direct defection to Reform UK by an elected politician in England today as a sitting councillor joined Nigel Farage’s party with a stinging attack on Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.
Councillor Mason Humberstone, who represents Old Town ward on Stevenage Borough Council, accused Labour of being “lost” and having forgotten about “ordinary, hardworking people” as he crossed the floor to join the insurgent right-wing party.
The defection marks a striking political transformation for Stevenage’s youngest councillor, who just eight years ago told the local Comet newspaper that his political role model was Barack Obama and listed gay rights, mental health and improving police-community relations as his top priorities.
Taking to Twitter to announce his decision, the mid-20s councillor launched a broadside against his former party: “I’ve battled with this decision for some time. But deep down, I know it’s the right call. It isn’t ordinary, hardworking people in Stevenage and across our country who’ve left Labour – Labour has left us.”
He added: “The party I joined is lost, without vision, mired in scandal, and too often speaking for a metropolitan elite rather than the people they’re meant to serve. When policies harm the British people and weaken our democracy, I cannot in good conscience support them.”
However, the defection has been overshadowed by revelations about Humberstone’s council attendance record. Official records show he has attended just 10 of 33 council and committee meetings in the past year – less than a third of those he was expected to attend.
Nigel Farage welcomed the defection on Twitter, declaring: “He is putting country before party.” The Reform UK leader has been actively courting defectors from both major parties as he seeks to establish his movement as a serious political force.
Labour council leader Richard Henry was scathing in his response, telling the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Humberstone was “jumping ship with no fair warning for personal and political gain.”
“I made every attempt, above and beyond what would be considered reasonable, to accommodate and mentor Cllr Humberstone as he brought many challenges to the table in terms of his attendance, punctuality, adherence to commitments, dedication to the role and much more,” Henry revealed.
The contrast between Humberstone’s past and present political positions is particularly striking. In 2016, when he became Stevenage’s first Youth MP, the then-teenager expressed admiration for America’s first black president and championed progressive causes. He told the Comet newspaper at the time that he wanted “a career in politics” with mental health, gay rights and police-public relations as his priorities.
Now, eight years later, he has joined a party led by Farage that has positioned itself firmly on the right of British politics, opposing what it characterises as “woke” policies and metropolitan liberal values.
Stevenage’s Labour MP Kevin Bonavia expressed deep disappointment at the defection, accusing Reform UK of being a party that “thrives on fear and division and has no practical solutions for our country’s future.”
“If he wants to continue to represent residents here with a different political party he should do the right thing by resigning as a councillor and seeking a new mandate in another election,” Bonavia stated. “I will not be distracted by political opportunism as I continue to focus on working day and night to secure positive changes for our town and villages as our local MP.”
The defection represents a symbolic victory for Reform UK, which has been gaining momentum following strong performances in recent local elections. In May, the party won five of six county council seats in Stevenage, securing almost 35 per cent of the vote and contributing to the Conservatives losing control of Hertfordshire County Council for the first time since 1999.
Humberstone becomes the first sitting Labour councillor in England to switch directly to Reform UK, following former Scottish Labour councillor Jamie McGuire’s move earlier this year. Other former Labour politicians have joined Reform, including MP Lee Anderson and former election candidate Simon Danczuk, but they had already left Labour before making the switch.
The timing of the defection is significant, coming just days after Farage unveiled former Tory shadow minister Danny Kruger as his latest Conservative recruit, quickly followed by another former Tory, Maria Caulfield. The party appears to be positioning itself as a home for disaffected politicians from both major parties.
In his defection statement, Humberstone claimed: “As Stevenage’s youngest councillor, I entered politics to serve with integrity and respect. Today, I know I join a party that will put the British people and our great nation first. I feel proud to be part of this team and ready to get to work.”
However, critics point to his poor attendance record as undermining these claims of dedication to public service. The revelation that he missed more than two-thirds of required meetings raises questions about his commitment to the role even before his ideological shift.
A local Labour source told reporters: “Mason showed a lot of promise and potential when he joined the party, but the reality is he fell extremely below the mark.”
Humberstone’s political journey began as a member of Stevenage Youth Council, where he unsuccessfully ran to be the borough’s youth mayor before winning election as Stevenage’s first Youth MP in 2016. He was elected to the borough council in 2023 and has served as the BAME officer for the Labour Students organisation.
His defection to Reform UK represents not just a personal political journey but also highlights the fluid nature of British politics in the post-Brexit era. Traditional party loyalties appear increasingly fragile, with politicians willing to make dramatic ideological shifts that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.
For Labour, the defection is an embarrassment rather than a crisis – the party maintains a healthy majority on Stevenage Borough Council. However, it does raise questions about party discipline and the vetting of candidates, particularly given the attendance issues that preceded the defection.
The controversy also underscores the challenge Sir Keir Starmer faces in maintaining party unity whilst in government. Humberstone’s criticism of Labour serving a “metropolitan elite” echoes concerns from the party’s traditional working-class base about its direction under current leadership.
Reform UK will hope this defection is the first of many, as it seeks to establish itself as more than a protest movement. With 10 councils now under Reform control following May’s elections – the first time the party has held council control – Farage’s movement is demonstrating genuine electoral strength.
The question now is whether Humberstone will heed calls for a by-election to test his new political allegiance with Old Town voters who elected him on a Labour platform just over a year ago. His response may indicate how confident Reform UK is about its prospects in traditionally Labour territory.
As British politics continues to fragment and realign, the journey of a young councillor from Obama admirer to Farage supporter encapsulates the unpredictable nature of contemporary political allegiances. Whether his defection triggers further departures or remains an isolated incident will be closely watched by all parties.
For now, Mason Humberstone stands as Reform UK’s first direct capture from Labour’s elected representatives in England – a small but symbolically significant victory for Farage’s insurgent movement and a warning shot for Starmer’s Labour Party about the fragility of political loyalty in turbulent times.
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