Reform MP James McMurdock 'removes party whip from himself' amid probe into £70,000 Covid bounce back loans

5 July 2025, 14:09 | Updated: 5 July 2025, 16:44

Reform MP James McMurdock has resigned the whip pending a ‘business propriety’ investigation, his party has confirmed.

Mr McMurdock suspended himself from the party over allegations surrounding his 'business propriety during Covid pandemic'.

The MP resigned the whip pending ‘business propriety’ investigation, with a party statement posted by Reform member Lee Anderson.

The claims are believed to relate to an investigation published by The Times on Saturday, which looked into £70,000 of bounce back loans secured for two of his companies over the pandemic.

In a statement released by Mr Anderson on Saturday, the official statement said the MP had 'removed the party whip from himself'.

The statement said: "I have today received a call from James McMurdock who has advised me, as Chief Whip, that he has removed the party whip from himself pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that are likely to be published by a national newspaper.

"The allegations relate to business propriety during the pandemic and before he became an MP.

"At Reform UK we take these matters very seriously and James has agreed to cooperate in full with any investigation.

"We will not be commenting further at this moment."

MP James McMurdock has insisted “all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations”, after he resigned the Reform UK whip pending an investigation.

In a statement on X on Saturday afternoon, Mr McMurdock said he asked for the whip to be suspended as a “precautionary measure” and “for the protection of Reform UK”.

Referring to a conversation with a journalist, the MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock said: “I confirmed to the journalist that all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations, and that appropriately qualified professionals had reviewed all activity confirming the same.”

An investigation by The Times alleges McMurdock took out the maximum Covid bounce back loan of £50,000 for firm JAM Financial Limited - a company which had no employees and next-to-no assets until the pandemic.

Companies could take out loans which amounted to 25-per-cent of their annual turnover.

According to the Times, a £50,000 government loan was taken out - meaning Mr McMurdock's firm would have required a turnover of more than £200,000.

Lee Anderson said in a statement on Saturday that the allegations against Mr McMurdock which led to him removing the whip "relate to business propriety during the pandemic and before he became an MP".

Mr Anderson said that Mr McMurdock has "agreed to co-operate in full with any investigation".

Mr McMurdock, 39, has previously been jailed for attacking an ex-girlfriend.

In a statement published on Reform's X account on Saturday afternoon, Mr Anderson said: "I have today received a call from James McMurdock who has advised me, as Chief Whip, that he has removed the party whip from himself pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that are likely to be published by a national newspaper.

"The allegations relate to business propriety during the pandemic and before he became an MP," Mr Anderson said.

Mr McMurdock has represented South Basildon and East Thurrock since last July's general election.

He won the seat by 98 votes, beating Labour into second place, and taking the seat from the Conservatives.