Reform Cllr -death, taxes and Labour ruining our lives only guarantees | UK | News
On a night when Starmer’s party faces the nightmare of local election collapse, the UK Reform MP has issued a funny and relatable critique of Labor.
Shortly after narrowly defeating the Labor candidate to win the Reform seat of St Martin, Major Sam Journet was asked how confident he was that Reform would sweep all 14 seats on Essex council.
“If I don’t return 14 out of 14 seats for Reform UK tonight then I’ve done a bad job,” he said.
When pressed further, he joked: “The only things we can be sure of in life are death, taxes and Labor ruining our lives.”
The 7 May local elections across Britain are turning into a bloodbath for the Labor Party; More than 20 seats are transferred from Sir Keir Starmer’s party to Reform UK, with Conservative seats falling to Nigel Farage’s party.
Reform UK swept all 12 seats in Hartlepool, ending Labor’s control of the council. Labor was defending six seats with a narrow majority and is now poised to become opposition.
Jonathan Brash, the town’s Labor MP, watched as his wife Pamela Hargreaves, leader of Hartlepool council, lost her seat. He called on Sir Keir Starmer to take immediate action.
He said: “I think the best thing the prime minister can do now is to address the nation tomorrow and set a timetable for his departure. Then we can have an orderly transition, ensuring that all the talent within the Labor Party can survive if they so choose.”
Reform is also making gains in Wigan; It won six of the first seven declared seats, while an independent candidate claimed the other. Labour’s overall control of the council is not yet under threat; By late night he held 62 of the 75 seats, with only 25 uncontested.
There was a rare moment of relief for Labor at the Salford City Council count, where the party held the Eccles ward with 1,663 votes to Reform’s 1,207, prompting hugs and cheers from activists, the Press Association reported.
However, Labor lost control of Tamworth after Reform won nine seats, failing to achieve an overall majority on the council. In Hart, Reform took only one seat from the Conservatives, leaving the Liberal Democrats as the largest party with no overall control.
What did Nigel Farage say about the local election results?
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage celebrated early returns at his party’s Millbank headquarters, declaring British politics permanently changed.
He said: “I think what you are witnessing is a historic shift in British politics. Forget left-right, there is no left-right anymore. It’s gone, out the window, over.
“As you can see, we are achieving stunning percentages in traditional ex-Labour areas. We are now averaging 39% of the vote, bringing the number of seats already available to 145. We have gone way beyond anything I thought possible.”
