James McMurdock, the Reform UK MP who surrendered his party's whip on Saturday, has said he will continue his parliamentary career as an independent MP after taking on legal advice.
In a statement on Tuesday, McMurdock said: "Further to my statement tweeted on July 5, 2025, I have now had a chance to take specialist legal advice from an expert in the relevant field.
"In light of that advice, which is privileged and which I choose to keep private at this time, I have decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP where I can focus 100 per cent on the interests of my constituents."
A probe by The Times alleges that McMurdock borrowed £70,000 under the Government's Bounce Back loans scheme in 2020 through two companies he owned.
'I have decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP,' McMurdock saidHOUSE OF COMMONSOne of the two is said to have had no employees and negligible assets until the pandemic began.
The other was "dormant" until January 31, 2020.
Before the newspaper went to print, he said he had faced "an extremely aggressive and clumsy line of questioning" by a journalist.
"He confirmed that the phone call was off the record and I advised him to be very careful with the details and consult a technically qualified person," the South Basildon & East Thurrock MP added.
"Yesterday [July 4], I received an email from the same journalist asking me to provide detailed information relating to businesses that ceased trading some years ago.
READ MORE ON REFORM UK:
A probe by The Times alleges that McMurdock borrowed £70,000 under the Government's Bounce Back loans scheme for two 'dormant' or unstaffed companies
JAMES MCMURDOCK/X
"The deadline to provide that information was 6pm the same day.
"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."
Shortly afterwards, Reform UK Chief Whip Lee 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.
'At Reform UK we take these matters very seriously and James has agreed to cooperate in full with any investigation,' Lee Anderson said
GETTY"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."
Reform UK's parliamentary headcount has now returned to four - the same number it thought it had won at the General Election until a recount in Basildon South & East Thurrock, Essex.
It then boasted five MPs until Rupert Lowe's March suspension and subsequent exit earlier this year.
Then it returned to five after Sarah Pochin won the Runcorn & Helsby by-election on the morning of May 2.
GB News has approached Reform UK for comment regarding McMurdock's statement on Tuesday.
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