Reform makes big gains in Plymouth election
Reform UK is celebrating after winning 14 seats on Plymouth City Council in local elections.
Labor went into the election knowing it could not lose control of the mandate, but ended up with nine councilors fewer than when the seats were last contested in 2022. The party is in a majority of five after the election.
Reformation’s gains took it to Devon, the second largest group in Plymouth, with 16 councillors.
The Conservatives lost six seats, taking their councilors to three. The Green Party gained one seat, increasing it to three councillors; The independent group ended with four members; There are no changes since 2022.
[BBC]
Reform won seats in the wards of Budshead, Compton, Devonport, Efford and Lipson, Eggbuckland, Ham, Honicknowle, Moor View, Plympton Chaddlewood, Plympton St Mary, Plymstock Dunstone, Southway, St Budeaux and St Peter and Waterfront – claiming all but five of the seats available at the election.
Those singled out for reform include Helen Kelly, the wife of one of the council’s former Conservative leaders.
Kelly, whose husband Nick was removed from leadership After the vote of confidence in 2022He claimed the seat in Compton four years ago, which Labor won before councilor Dylan Tippetts switched allegiance to the Liberal Democrats last year.
During the count, Kelly’s husband was seen wearing a Reform badge and cheering on his wife.
Following his victory, Kelly said: “I hope that with the passion of the Reform team now in Plymouth we can face a real challenge as an effective opposition to Labor that they have not faced for some years.”
Reformation won all but five of the 19 seats voted for in Plymouth [BBC]
Group leader Steve Ricketts said the party’s results in Plymouth and across England were “the stuff dreams are made of”.
Ricketts added: “There have been huge results across the country and that has translated into Plymouth – huge gains for sure.
“We have a duty to govern the city council.
“Unfortunately we can’t take control this year as it’s one third, but we’re ready to take control of the council next year and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Labor council leaders Tudor Evans said the party would reflect on the results and try to move forward.
Plymouth City Council Labor leader Tudor Evans said national politics played a part in the results [BBC]
Evans said: “As we always do after the election, we must take into account what is going on and respond to it as positively as possible – and we will do that.
“National politics played a huge part in tonight’s results and locally Labor in Plymouth will bounce back very quickly.”
The Green Party’s win came in the seat of Drake, with 23-year-old Saahi Aroori defeating Labour’s Chelsea Shelton by 221 votes.
Saahi Aroori won the Drake ward seat from the Green Party by 221 votes [BBC]
Aroori said his “voice will be heard” on the council and vowed to stand with those whose views he said were not represented.
Aroori said her age and being “the only brown person in the room” will give her a unique perspective.
“If I see injustice, pay attention to my words and you will hear my voice,” Aroori said.
‘Rebuild and regroup’
Former Conservative group leader Andy Lugger, who was expelled from the council after losing to Reform candidate Grace Stickland by 559 votes in Plymstock Dunstone, said he believed the “Reform sweep” was being driven by national politics.
“I was expecting this kind of turnout and I was expecting this kind of outcome,” said Lugger, who was previously a councilor for the Southway ward.
“Let’s judge from the fact that we came second on many occasions, including me at Dunstone.
“There is now a chance to rebuild and regroup.”
Speaking on behalf of the Liberal Democrat group, which has no representation on the council after the election, Tippets said many people across the city were “really angry” and wanted change.
“For the last 30 years we have been let down by both Labor and the Conservatives and unfortunately this time it was Reform who dominated the airwaves and they were the ones who occupied the seats,” Tippetts added.
Analysis by BBC South West political correspondent Miles Davis
Labor still maintains control of the city, but the party suffered a serious defeat in these local council elections.
There are 57 seats on the council and 19 were up for grabs in the last few days.
On the night, Reform won 14 of these seats, Labor won two, the Conservatives won one and the Greens won two seats.
Labor will now return with a much smaller majority, but will still retain control of the council due to the number of councilors they previously had.
But now they face a new and different opposition.
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