One of Britain’s newest political parties now has two members in Devon’s largest council.

A pair of independent members on Devon County Council have now signed up as members of Advance UK, a party formed by Ben Habib, a former Brexit Party member and deputy leader of Reform UK.

Councillor Ed Hill (Pinhoe & Mincinglake) and Councillor Angela Nash (Wonford & St Loye) have now become members of Advance UK, meaning the party – formed last year – now has members on Devon’s largest council.

Cllr Hill was expelled from Reform UK after he sent a letter campaigning on the issue of auto-enrolment of eligible children for free school meals.

The letter was purportedly signed by all of Reform UK’s county councillors, however, the party claimed some members had not given their permission for their names to be used.

Cllr Hill said he believed he had secured permission from Reform UK’s Devon members via conversations with one councillor in a WhatsApp group.

Reform’s decision to expel Cllr Hill was also linked to allegations he made about the election expenses of Reform colleague, Councillor Neil Stevens (Alphington & Cowick), who was successful in a civil case he took to the High Court to clear him of wrongdoing.

Justice Martin Spencer said at the hearing last year: “I wholly accept Neil Stevens’ explanation and his assertion that mistakes which he made arose out of errors on his part and mis-advice he was given by others he trusted and relied upon.”

Cllr Nash also left Reform UK in Devon last year, at the time stating her decision had “not been made lightly”.

She said: “Entering public life, I made a commitment to act with honesty, integrity and transparency.

“To remain under the Exeter Reform banner would be to compromise my own principles, and the trust placed in me by the people I represent.”

At the time, Devon’s Reform UK leader, Michael Fife Cook (Yelverton Rural), said some voters could be “annoyed” by the switch because they would have voted in Cllr Nash as a Reform member and not as anything else.

On joining Advance UK, Cllr Hill said he had produced campaign material for Reform UK, delivered to more than 50,000 households setting out “clear values of accountability, responsibility and honesty, including holding our own candidates to the same standards we expect of others”.

“Those principles were the basis on which I stood for election,” he said.

“When I later attempted to uphold them in practice, I was expelled.

“Having reflected carefully on the culture and record of the other parties, I believe Advance UK is the political movement that will genuinely allow me to work by the values I campaigned on.”

Cllr Nash said leaving Reform UK was a “matter of necessity”, claiming the environment of the party locally was one “no elected representative should have to operate in”.

“I initially chose to sit as an Independent to protect my constituents’ voice,” she said.

“In Advance UK, I have found a party that supports structural reform without the toxic internal culture that exists elsewhere.

“Advance UK offers a serious, professional and solutions-focused approach. I am no longer simply opposing what is wrong — I am helping to build something better.”

Ben Habib, Leader of Advance UK, said the pair “exemplify the kind of public servants Advance UK exists to support”.