The newly elected members of Reform UK have cautioned the upstart party that they need to deliver following their significant victories.
local elections
victory.
Nigel Farage
His team acquired over 650 council positions and seized control of 10 municipal governments in the recent elections, sending a shockwave through Westminster.
They were victorious in the mayoral races across Greater Lincolnshire and Hull as well as East Yorkshire, along with securing victory in the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election.
One of the councils taken over by Reform was Durham County Council, where the party secured two-thirds of the seats.
The council was previously run as a coalition between the
Tories
,
Liberal Democrats
and independent councillors.
Mr Farage visited the area during the election campaign and attended a celebration event in Newton Aycliffe after his party’s stunning success.
He delivered a message via a speech cautioning the city council employees involved in climate change efforts or DEI programs—and those intending to keep up remote work—that they should consider looking for different career paths promptly.
But voters in Durham told MailOnline they wanted to see any money saved from such schemes ploughed back into local services.
They also explained their shift against Labour due to significant immigration levels and the removal of winter fuel benefits for millions of elderly citizens.
Diane Guy
, 63, a dressmaker from Ushaw Moor, County Durham, said: ‘I voted for Reform as I can’t stand Keir Starmer and I didn’t want to vote Labour.
We need to attempt something fresh. The North East has traditionally supported Labour, but people now feel like they’ve sabotaged themselves, which is why they’re considering alternative options.
This moment presents an opportunity for Reform to demonstrate their capabilities, and should they succeed, they might perform admirably in the upcoming general election.
‘I like Nigel Farage, he doesn’t waffle like other politicians. I can understand why he wants to stop migrants.
‘I don’t have a problem with genuine migrants and asylum seekers coming here but we need to stop those who have come here on boats. We will see what happens, watch this space.’
Donna Snailham
, 42, who is unemployed, from Durham, said: ‘I would have voted for Reform but I missed the vote. They are our last hope. It is shocking what Labour have done.
This doesn’t feel like our country anymore. We left the EU to prevent people from coming here, yet the situation has worsened. The nation seems worn-out. Great Britain isn’t great as it used to be.
‘Some of the biggest problems in Durham is that everything is catered to students from accommodation to entertainment. I hope Reform will change that.
‘I agree with scrapping DEI and putting it back into local services. Mental health services were scrapped and local services declined.
‘I was part of a local support programme and that stopped suddenly. We need more things in Durham for young people.’
Rosemary Newby
, 79, a retired council worker from Ushaw Moor, County Durham, said: ‘I’m disappointed with the whole of the council.
‘Labour have taken our money away from us, they have scrapped the winter fuel allowance. People are living in hardship.
It’s advisable to reduce funding for diversity, equity, and inclusiveness personnel and reinvest those resources into services. We require greater investments in our various service areas.
‘A few years back, there was someone tasked with keeping the streets clean, but that practice no longer exists. The potholes remain unfixed; nothing has been done about them.’
Ms Newby said people are now looking for alternatives as they were ‘fed-up of the last council’.
‘Everyone always voted for Labour, but it’s gone a different way. They are fed up of Labour. It will take them a long time to get back to where they were.
‘We were devastated when they took the winter fuel allowance off us. That was really helpful, and a lot of people wonder why that was taken.’
Sadie Harnett
, 30, a carer from Spennymoor, County Durham, said: ‘When Reform won their seats, they were asking the council leader what to do.
‘They had no idea what they were doing. I expected them to get that many seats. I’m not surprised they did so well.
‘It’s due to immigration. People can’t see past the immigration issue in the UK. When I speak to people who vote for Reform all they speak about is immigration.
‘We live in Spennymoor and it’s 99 per cent white. In the last few years, we have had some asylum seekers move in.’
Ms Harnett said she ‘didn’t have any nice words for Farage’, adding: ‘He wants to make changes to climate change and DEI but what is the point?
‘What does anything matter if you don’t help the environment. I find it scary, I’m ready to move.’
Her mother,
Frances Hartnett
, 57, who is unemployed, said: ‘Are they going to know what to do?
‘I understand why people have voted that way. It’s down to immigration. People are getting sick of being called racist.
‘Starmer hasn’t ingratiated himself to the public. He’s annoyed a lot of people. I would say it’s a protest vote for Reform but it’s not.
The senior citizens argue that it’s due to the taxation on pensions. Should he prevent migrants from entering the council area, we would lose all our caregivers and nurses as well.
Pete Stewart
, 78, a retired local government officer, of Stanhope, County Durham, said: ‘I will vote for Reform next time as I am peed off with Labour and Conservatives.
‘People are fed up with the two-party system, someone has to break out of that. Conservative and Labour are so close together that it’s a wasted vote.
‘We have ex-servicemen sleeping in doorways but there are immigrants being housed in hotels. That, to me, is vile.
‘Anyone who is here illegally should be sent back. Reform’s policy makes sense.’
Read more
