The leader of Reform UK in Hampshire has been charged with 35 offences against four victims spanning a 13-year period. The charges against 37-year-old George Madgwick include 12 counts of rape, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Charges and Police Investigation
The CPS stated that the offences took place between 2008 and 2021 in Portsmouth and Wales. The four victims were aged 16 and 17 at the time the alleged offences occurred.
In total, Madgwick, a resident of the Anchorage Park area of Portsmouth, faces 12 counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and two counts of sexual assault. He has also been charged with two counts of making indecent images of children, two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour, and eight counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Additionally, he faces one charge each of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, distributing an indecent image of a child, stalking, making threats to kill, false imprisonment, theft, and criminal damage.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary stated that their investigation commenced on 24 July 2025 following a report of a sexual offence. Police initially arrested Madgwick on 6 January 2026 before the CPS formally charged him on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the CPS said: “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to bring the case to court.”
The spokesperson added: “We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial. There should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Political Impact and Suspension
Reform UK announced that Madgwick had been suspended with immediate effect. Madgwick serves as a councillor representing North East Havant on Hampshire County Council and Paulsgrove on Portsmouth City Council, having won his seat on the county council by a large margin in May, which was months after his initial police arrest.
Hampshire County Council released a statement acknowledging the extremely serious allegations and stating that further comment would be inappropriate since criminal proceedings are underway. The local authority noted that facing criminal charges does not automatically disqualify a councillor from holding office.
Last month, Madgwick appeared in an ITV News Exposure documentary titled Undercover: A Year In Reform. The programme featured him expressing support for an anti-immigration group called the Portsmouth Patriots, after which he accused the broadcaster of electoral interference and stated that undercover reporters potentially influenced the council election results.
Madgwick is scheduled to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on 25 November.
