Former Walsall Councillor Joins Right-Wing Advance UK Party

A former Conservative councillor from Walsall has officially joined Advance UK, a right-wing political party that has garnered support from controversial figures including anti-Islam campaigner **Tommy Robinson**. Councillor **Jade Chapman**, who represents the **Rushall-Shelfield** ward, announced her resignation from the **Conservative Party** on **September 18, 2023**.

Chapman’s departure followed her participation in the **Unite the Kingdom** march in London, which was organized by Robinson on **September 13, 2023**. Joining her at the event was her husband, **Lee Chapman**, who had previously contested the **Pelsall by-election** as a Conservative candidate just a week earlier.

In her statement regarding her resignation, Chapman expressed her belief that British citizens are “being pushed to the back of the queue.” She stated that **Advance UK** is the first political party she has encountered that does not seek to silence the concerns of ordinary people.

Speaking to the **Local Democracy Reporting Service**, she remarked, “I have watched our British people become not just tolerant but suppressed. We now have equality and diversity processes that, instead of promoting fairness, are too often placing ethnicity ahead of ethics, pushing British families to the back of the queue for housing, benefits, healthcare, and jobs. This is not equality. This is not justice. And the British people have had enough.”

Advance UK, led by **Ben Habib**, a former deputy leader of **Reform UK**, has been characterized by some as a far-right party due to its policies and affiliations. The party’s formal launch event, which was scheduled to take place at a hotel in **Newcastle-upon-Tyne**, was cancelled by the **labour-led Newcastle City Council** on the grounds of health and safety.

Chapman further criticized mainstream political parties, stating, “For too long, no mainstream party has been willing to truly defend free speech. Advance UK is the first party I’ve seen that refuses to silence ordinary people or shame them for raising concerns.” She emphasized that many individuals across the country feel unable to voice their opinions due to fears of being labelled or judged, which she claims undermines the functioning of democracy.

Expressing her pride in joining the party, Chapman stated, “I am proud to announce that I have joined Ben Habib and Advance UK, a party that stands firmly for honesty, courage, and the protection of British values at a time when our country needs it most.”

With this move, Chapman aligns herself with a political party that has generated significant debate in the UK political landscape, reflecting a growing sentiment among certain segments of the population regarding issues of identity, representation, and free speech.