Brexit leader Nigel Farage has announced that 29 councilors have defected to his Reform Party ahead of the British local elections. These councilors have come from a range of parties, including the formerly governing Conservatives, the ruling Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, and several independent groups. Farage revealed these changes during a press conference as Reform prepares for the council elections in May.
Zia Yusuf, the party chairman, confirmed that Reform plans to field candidates in all 1,641 seats set to be contested on May 1. Farage reflected on party challenges in recent weeks, indicating they had experienced “a little bit of turbulence.” One of the party’s five Members of Parliament (MPs), Rupert Lowe, had been suspended after being accused of bullying and threats of violence, which Lowe denied, instead claiming he was targeted for challenging Farage.
Farage emphasized the importance of thoroughly investigating the complaints, stating the party awaits a report from an independent King’s Counsel (KC) lawyer to ascertain the truth.
Despite these internal issues, the defections coupled with strong poll results suggest Reform’s momentum has not been significantly slowed. Polling data also indicates a majority of British electoral districts would prefer Farage as Prime Minister over Labour incumbent Sir Keir Starmer.