Reform UK to launch local election campaign

Since winning its first ever MPs at the July general election, Reform has surged in polls and claims to have signed up over 200,000 members.

One of the new recruits is former junior Tory minister Andrea Jenkyns who defected last summer and is now the Reform candidate for the new mayorship of Greater Lincolnshire.

On Friday, Reform UK will hold its biggest rally to date with up to 10,000 people expected to pay £5 to attend the event at Arena Birmingham.

Most of the councils up for election are county councils - large authorities like Lancashire and Kent that look after services including social care, education, road maintenance and libraries.

In parts of England with no district councils, like in Cornwall, Doncaster and Buckinghamshire, local authorities are responsible for the full range of services - these also include bin collections, public housing and planning.

In some areas, local elections have been delayed until next year while councils are reorganised.

Reform UK has launched a petition against the delay in elections.

When the delay was announced, Farage accused the government and the Tories of colluding to officially cancel over 5.5 million votes" across nine councils.

Ahead of the local election, Farage once again ruled out signing a non-aggression pact with the Conservatives to focus resources on different seats.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday he said: "There is no pact, there is no deal. We're not the Conservative Party. We're not Conservative-lite. We're not Tory-lite.

"In fact, frankly, we pretty much despise them for their level of betrayal."

Playing up his own parties prospects at the local election, Farage said the Conservatives are "stuffy, boring old bastards", and Labour risks losing voters to more organised opposition on its left.

This week, the party announced its candidate for the upcoming Runcorn and Helsby by-election as former Cheshire East councillor and local magistrate Sarah Pochin.

Farage played down pressure on Reform to win the seat - which Labour won with a 34.8% majority at the last election.

"It's a must win by-election for Labour," said Farage. "We're going to run them close. whatever we do."