Reform ‘now main opposition party’, says Farage
Nigel Farage has said Reform UK is “now the main opposition party” to the Government after his party’s victories in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election and other local election contests.
The Reform leader said his party “dug very deep into the Labour vote” in the Cheshire constituency and “dug very deep into the Conservative vote” in other parts of England.
In one of the closest parliamentary contests ever, new MP Sarah Pochin took the seat that Labour won with a majority of more than 14,000 last year by just six votes.
Meanwhile, former Conservative minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns was elected for Reform UK as the first Greater Lincolnshire mayor with a majority of almost 40,000 over her former party.
The party has also taken control of Staffordshire County Council and took 21 seats in Northumberland, which now remains under no overall control.
“Not a credible comment”
Mr Farage told the PA news agency: “It’s been a big night for us.
“We’ve dug very deep into the Labour vote and, in other parts of England, we’ve dug deep into the Conservative vote, and we are now, after tonight there’s no question, in most of the country, we are now the main opposition party to this Government.”
Ms Pochin’s victory takes Reform’s number of seats in the Commons up to five. Five MPs were elected for the party last year, but the whip has since been suspended from Rupert Lowe.
Conservative co-chairman Nigel Huddleston suggested it is not “credible” for Mr Farage to suggest Reform could be the opposition.
Mr Huddleston told BBC Breakfast: “He can’t even manage five MPs previously. We’re (on) 121.
“In local government, we’ll still have over 4,000 seats most likely after this election.
“I think that is just not a credible comment from Mr Farage.”
Conservatives “split”
Kemi Badenoch had previously warned the local elections would be tough for the Conservatives, as the last time most of the seats up for grabs were contested was in spring 2021 when Boris Johnson’s government was boosted by the Covid vaccine rollout.
Asked if he had a message for Mrs Badenoch, Mr Farage said: “We want you to stay on as leader. I’ll put some money if you’d like to keep you there.
“She’s got an impossible job. The Conservative Party is split.”
Polling expert Sir John Curtice described Reform as being “in business”.
The Strathclyde University professor told BBC Breakfast: “The big question we were looking to these elections to answer was, the message of the opinion polls is that Reform are now posing a big threat to both Conservative and Labour, neck and neck with them according to the polls.
“Is that really true? And I think we now already know that the answer to that question is yes.
“Ukip never managed to win a parliamentary by-election afresh in the way that Reform have managed to do in Runcorn.”
Sir John said Reform had put in “some quite remarkable performances” as the more evenly spread vote was not a disadvantage to the party at local level.
He added: “Reform are in business. They are a major challenge.”
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It will be genuinely interesting to see what happens with Reform running some councils. If services collapse who will they blame?
The previous incumbents, immigrants , diversity, inclusivity, council employees working from home, SEND, the kitchen sink, but hey, we’ve got our country back! Give them enough rope.
He says a lot of things. Apart form wrecking things, what does he have to his name? Brexit?
Putins useful idiot is all he is. Maybe a spell in power is what the UK needs to see what fascists are like.
Jeff, we can mock Farage and his acolytes on here for all we’re worth. It helps us vent our frustration and indeed anger that so many are swallowing the snake oil that Farage is flogging.
We can but hope that over the next year the damage that Reform will wreak over any council it gains control of will be plain to see before the Senedd .Elections.
We’re really going to have to vote tactically to keep Reform out of power.
Calling it what it is.
He is now saying “DEI” will get the boot but that comes under the equality act. I hope the law ties him up in knots. Or rather the councillors he directs will get it, he will walk. They will find out what obedience to a grifter is like.
Apologies if that came across as a criticism, I wholeheartedly agree with you with regard to Farage and Reform, and, as you’ve succinctly pointed out he’s on a loser with DEI.
Let’s just keep our spirits up by taking the p••s out the lot of them.
I didn’t take it that way and certainly not a problem. Sorry if it sounded so.
He is handing the press open goals with his DEI claims, they need to go in studs up. Or fascism gets a stronghold in the UK.
On a related note, Durham have just opened a battery academy, he will be saying this needs to close.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1jpdjjx0k0o
Shocking.
Like Mr Mango, his hero and mentor, he’s not good with detail. The Tories are the official opposition. The Tories are also HIS opposition and they spend more time opposing him than thinking of sensible questions to ask the government. If his party WERE the opposition, it would fail as he would have to be at the dispatch box at midday every Wednesday and he has difficulty turning up.
Populists gain power by using the abundant discord, disgruntlement and anger at the system not working, by promising change. When they gain power it generally falls apart – they become the people they cried about, they haven’t the solutions either. It was just all mouth to gain power. Sadly, in the short term their policies hit us for six, Brexit and Trump, for example. We will all learn the hard way but by then it’s too late, as it’ll set us back years. Here in Cymru we have to stop that disaster happening by voting Plaid Cymru.
Vote tactically. Even if it means Labour and Plaid have to go into coalition.
It would appear Reform’s success is down to FPTP.
Rwan ein bod ni’n gwybod canlyniadau’r etholiadau llywodraethol lleol yn Lloegr, dylai clychau’r larymau yng Nghymru fod yn canu ar lefel fyddarol. Os ceith cowbois Farage eu troed trwy ddrws Llywodraeth Cymru y flwyddyn nesaf, rydym yn gallu disgwyl trychineb llwyr. Nid yw’r siarciau hynny yn gwybod dim byd amdanom ni fel cenedl gyda’n diwylliant a’n hiaith eien hunain. Maent i’r dde o Genghis Khan. Os cânt unrhyw rym yn ein Llywodraeth, rydym yn gallu ffarwelio â’n Gwasanaeth Iechyd fel y mae ar hyn o bryd, wrth iddo fynd trwy beiriant malu, a dod allan yn seiliedig ar yr hyn… Read more »