South Kesteven District Councillor Mark Whittington recovering after brain bleed
A South Kesteven district councillor has thanked medical teams for their “wonderful care” as he recovers from a recent medical episode.
Grantham Councillor Mark Whittington has also said he will be leaving the Reform UK party and sitting as an Independent non-aligned councillor.
Posting on social media, he said he had suffered a small bleed on the left side of his brain, which temporarily affected movement on his right side.
Posting on his personal Facebook yesterday (Sunday), Coun Whittington said: “I would like to thank the excellent staff at both Grantham and Lincoln Hospitals for the wonderful care and treatment I recently received during my recent illness, the UTC at Grantham for diagnosing quickly that I had suffered a small bleed on the left hand side of my brain and the Stroke Unit at Lincoln for caring for me over the past few days.
“I am now back at home to begin a period of rest and recovery.
“Thanks to the excellent care I received the problem has been dealt with before it became more serious. I am extremely hopeful of making a full recovery.”
On his Councillor Facebook page on Monday, he added that: “I am now sitting as a non aligned Independent Councillor on South Kesteven District Council.”
Coun Whittinghton told the Local Democracy Reporting Service his reasons for leaving Reform were personal and “related to my Twitter and Facebook posts regarding my recent health issues”.
A social media post from fellow councillor Ben Green (Reform UK), expressed well wishes to his colleague.
“Thanks to the swift response and excellent care provided by the teams at Grantham and Lincoln hospitals, he is now home and beginning a period of rest and recovery,” said Coun Green.
“Mark is in good spirits and focused on regaining full strength. We know the whole community will join us in wishing him a smooth and steady recovery.”
Today, he added: “Following the recent health issue shared previously, Mark has decided to step back from active political involvement to prioritise his long-term recovery. We fully support his decision and wish him continued strength and rest.”
Previously a Conservative councillor, Coun Whittington is a former Lincolnshire county councillor, sitting on the authority from July 2015 to May 2025, and was elected to South Kesteven District Council in 2019.
He represents the Barrowby Gate ward and previously served as chairman and vice-chairman of various district committees, as well as spending time as cabinet member for waste and climate change.
He was the last person to serve as Mayor of Grantham from 2023 to 2024 as a member of the Grantham Charter Trustees — a role that was replaced by Ambassadors when Grantham Town Council came into being in May 2024.
Earlier this month, Coun Whittington became the fourth person to join the authority’s Reform UK group, saying he believed the Conservative Party was “over” and wanted to act on principle.
He cited rising taxes, overstretched public services, and a lack of accountability as key issues where he felt the Tories had offered excuses instead of action.
Coun Whittington said at the time that Reform UK was the only party addressing these challenges plainly, and he believed he could best serve his ward and community through the party.