Reform UK ramps up council election efforts as deadline for Tory councillors to defect looms
Reform ramp up council election efforts as deadline for Tory councillors to defect looms
PA
Nigel Farage asked every Tory councillor up for re-election in 2025 to defect to Reform UK last week
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Reform UK is ramping up its council by-election efforts in what could be a worrying trend for the Labour Party and the Conservatives.
Since the General Election, Nigel Farage’s party has fielded a candidate for 35 of the 105 council seats available (33 per cent), but in by-elections due to take place over the next four weeks, they’re standing in 29 of 43 seats of seats available (67 per cent).
This will worry the other parties as, despite only contesting 35 of 105 council seats since the General Election, Reform UK has won five per cent of the aggregate vote share, up 4.6 per cent.
The party won one council - Marton in Blackpool - with 38.8 per cent of the vote, up 29.3 per cent. Labour lost the council as their vote share plummeted 23 per cent.
Since the General Election, Labour’s aggregate vote share in council elections fell 8.6 per cent, costing them 20 seats. The Conservatives were up 1.7 per cent, winning 15 seats.
This comes after Nigel Farage sent a letter to 1,352 Tory councillors seeking re-election this year asking them to defect to his populist party.
In it, the Brexit supremo told Tory councillors in Cambridgeshire: "I’m writing to invite you to join our movement.
“Since July, we’ve been assembling a national election winning machine at historic speed with hundreds of branches already established and over 90,000 active members ready to campaign.
“By the time of the English county council elections next May, our ground campaign capabilities will be formidable.
LATEST FROM MEMBERSHIP:
"Many of you can see that the Tory brand is broken – not just thanks to the endless scandals it has faced, but also the reality that the party has betrayed the values that it once stood for.
“Reform UK will defend and celebrate those values. As such, our door is open should you consider standing for Reform UK.
“Given the imminent selection of a Reform UK candidate to stand against you, if you are interested in this proposal please reply to this email no later than 6pm on November 6, 2024."
Five councillors have answered the plea to date and switched allegiance including three independent district councillors in Nottinghamshire, one Conservative in Essex and two Conservatives in Aberdeenshire.
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