Nigel Farage has claimed Reform UK is "held to a higher standard than all the others" as the party intensifies its vetting process ahead of local elections.
Farage welcomed 29 councillors to Reform UK at a Westminster press conference today with defections from the Conservatives, Labour party and the Liberal Democrats as well as independent candidates.
The defections represent what the party believes is a growing trend as the local elections approach on May 1.
Speaking to GB News, Nigel Farage said: "We've been vetting, I bet, to a standard that no other party has ever done before for local council elections.
Nigel Farage said that Reform UK will be "held to a higher standard" than other parties
GB NEWS
"The reason is, I know we'll be held to a higher standard than all the others.
"I promised last year we'd professionalise the party, we'd democratise it, we'd open it up. It's happening."
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"I've had a look at the numbers. We may have only won four, but many of these were Lib Dem strongholds.
"For argument's sake, many of these we've come in a good second. Many of these were in Scotland, where you wouldn't have given us a chance a year ago.
"If we're polling 15 to 20 per cent in Scotland, they may not be victories yet, but they show progress.
"If you went back to last September, with the weekly council by-elections, we were hardly standing in any. Now we stand in virtually all of them, and the scores are improving.
"This is still a work in progress. Let's be absolutely clear about it. It's a work in progress. That's why May 1 is such a big day for us."
Many councillors are said to have cited feeling abandoned by the current two-party system as their reason for switching allegiance.
They expressed frustration the established parties prioritise party politics and self-interests over genuine change.
The growing trend of defections to Reform UK is expected to continue as the local elections approach.
Nigel Farage unveiled 29 new councillors today
GB NEWS
Reform UK is preparing for a major campaign launch rally in Birmingham on Friday March 28.
The event is expected to draw 10,000 supporters, according to Farage.
Speaking at the Reform UK press conference, Farage said: "We are growing. We are building. We are deepening.
"We are broadening. We are strengthening. We are getting ready for the 1st of May. This party is very, very much on the up."
