Stephen Mousdell, a newly elected Reform UK councillor for the Haydock ward on St Helens Council, has resigned just one day after it was revealed that he had been performing in online adult films under the alias Lachlan Taylor. The resignation came less than 24 hours after the St Helens Echo first reported on his dual career.
Election Victory and Resignation
Mr Mousdell was elected as part of Reform UK's sweeping victory in St Helens, which saw Nigel Farage's party take control of the borough from the long-dominant Labour group. He secured 1,331 votes in the Haydock Park ward. However, following the revelations about his adult film work, he stepped down on Wednesday, May 13, stating that the scrutiny had become untenable.
Statement from Mr Mousdell
In a lengthy social media post, Mr Mousdell said: "Recently, things have come out with regard to myself and my partner. We have always been transparent about it and not ashamed of what we do. We have full time jobs and also have adult professions, in which we abide by all EU and UK laws." He emphasized that he had not broken any laws and adhered to social media guidelines and the UK Online Safety Act.
He continued: "I wish to thank Reform UK and the St Helens Reform Party and leader in regard to the immense support over the last few days. But it is with sincere regret I am resigning as Reform councillor for Haydock ward. This is due to the immense pressures from the media, from individuals within the town hall, from certain parties and individuals who were not elected as councillor over a conflict of interest with regards to being a public figure in office and doing the adult profession."
Mr Mousdell cited his mental health and relationship as key factors, stating: "I haven't been in the right mental state as my depression and anxiety has been awful due to this and my relationship with Kev has been severely damaged and it has to be my number one priority." He added: "I was told to apologise to the public and stop doing what I was doing if I was in for a chance of staying being a councillor but I refused because I have done no wrong doing and I'm not lying just to stay in office. I am, who I am. I'm proud of what I do, there is no shame of it and I am proud to be a gay individual in this community."
Online Presence and Criticism
On his X account, Mr Mousdell, who goes by the name Mr Taylor, shared links to his OnlyFans account and made explicit posts. His account is now locked, but previously featured pornographic videos that drew widespread criticism. The Reform Party UK Exposed account shared screengrabs, stating: "We're celebrating Reform UK's first hardcore porn star councillor Stephen Mousdell being elected in Haydock, St Helens." Lachlan Taylor also appears on platforms such as Pornhub and ManSurfer.
Reform UK's Initial Response
Reform UK initially stood by Mr Mousdell, with a party spokesperson saying: "While Cllr Mousdell's lifestyle choices may not be to everyone's taste, he has not broken the law. What consenting adults do in their private lives is their own business. The electorate were fully aware of Cllr Mousdell's lifestyle choices weeks before the election and still decided to elect Stephen as their councillor." The party noted that Mr Mousdell had received the St Helens Mayor's Good Citizen Award for his community service.
When questioned on LBC, Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice commented: "Well, the reality is when you stand 5,000 candidates - whether you're the Green Party who had to dismiss many candidates - every party with that many candidates, you'll get the odd person..."
