Both Reform Party parliamentary candidates from Swindon have been dropped by the party.

Merely weeks ago the party’s website listed two candidates in the borough - Beau Dade was going to contest Swindon South, while Yvette Maxwell Darkes was to fight in the Swindon North constituency.

But now both constituencies have no candidate listed after both were removed for comments they had made and each page contains a link where people who might want to stand can apply.

Ms Maxwell Darkes was featured in a Daily Mail article about Reform party candidates which said she “expressed support for Tommy Robinson, arguing the convicted criminal ‘has very good things to say’”

Ms Maxwell Darkes took issue with the article, suggesting posting on her X account: “I’d never have known anything about the Grooming Gangs if it hadn’t been for #TommyRobinson & seemingly if you hashtag a name you’re a follower or supporter?"

The Mail article quotes the Reform Party as saying: “Yvette Maxwell Darkes was removed from our candidates list earlier this week, prior to The Mail on Sunday contacting us.”

The party has not responded to a query from the Local Democracy Reporter as to why Ms Maxwell Darkes was removed from the list, and the former candidate herself has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Mr Dade’s removal as the party’s candidate came after his writings where he called for “millions of foreigners and their dependents” to be deported In order that Britain could “rid itself of the foreign plague we have been diseased with.”

Talking about this policy and his demand for a “purge” of civil servants and judges Mr Dade wrote: “The reality of this policy will inevitably be messy.

“Whole families crying and shrieking and being violent and destructive when they are being detained. This is just one more unfortunate horror which the leftists and globalists and traitors have forced upon us.”

A Reform spokesman said: “We sacked him. It was brought to our attention and we acted quickly, unlike other parties. We don’t want to be represented by someone like that.”

With a general election expected, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in the ‘second half of this year’ most parties have their candidates announced.

In Swindon North Justin Tomlinson will defend the seat he won for the Conservatives in 2010 and three subsequent elections, facing Labour’s Will Stone and Andy Bentley of the Green Party.

In Swindon South, the Conservative former cabinet member Sir Robert Buckland will face Labour’s Heidi Alexander and Rod Hebden for the Greens.

The Liberal Democrats have yet to announce their candidates.