The party’s deputy leader Richard Tice, who is Boston & Skegness’s MP, attended their formal campaign launch

Reform UK has formally launched its local elections campaign in North East Lincolnshire, with the party’s deputy leader Richard Tice MP (Boston & Skegness) attending.

Voters will be heading to polling stations on May 7 to elect 15 councillors, one in each of the council‘s wards. Reform UK have a candidate in every ward, as do the Conservatives and Labour.

The Liberal Democrats and Green Party are standing in 14 wards each and the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) in eight wards. There are four independents standing, with three who would join the Independents for North East Lincolnshire Group if elected, and two other parties each fielding a candidate.

A full list of candidates standing in the North East Lincolnshire local elections on May 7 can be viewed here.

Reform UK has not stood in council elections before in North East Lincolnshire, but has a councillor already, Cllr Oliver Freeston (Croft Baker Ward), as he defected from the Conservatives two years ago. Cllr Freeston told Grimsby Live elected Reform UK councillors will bring “a wave of positivity” to the council.

Cllr Freeston is not the only former Conservative councillor to opt to stand with a turquoise Reform UK rosette this May, with several others also making the same move. Given this, and recent local Labour Party social media arguing Reform UK “are Tory+”, Grimsby Live asked Mr Tice what differentiates Reform UK’s candidates from the Conservatives and other parties candidates.

“People who stand for Reform, they believe in our values, in our conviction, our policies, and they’re the policies that are going to get this country back on track,” he said. He also claimed that Reform UK-led council have the lowest average council tax rise.

Reform UK has run 13 upper-tier local authorities in England since last year. Full Fact analysis finds they do have the lowest average annual increase in council tax of 4.33 per cent of parties who run upper-tier council areas. However, the range of council tax rises in Reform-led areas has varied from as low as 1.99 per cent in Durham, to 8.98 per cent in Worcestershire.

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“We’re better at saving money, renegotiating contracts, getting better value and providing at the same time better services for residents,” argued Mr Tice. “That’s why on May 7, if you want change, if you want better value, oh and by the way, if you want to get Starmer out, vote Reform.”

Cllr Freeston was asked why he felt Reform UK has the best candidates for the North East Lincolnshire local elections. “These are people that come from the real world, they’re people with experience. We’ve got quite a mixed range of ages.

“I think these people, a lot of whom have never been involved in politics before, have been brave enough to put their head above the parapet because they know they need to make change.” He added, “I cannot wait to see all of these people get elected, because we are going to be a new wave of positivity on this council.”

“We want people to meet the candidates to realise we’re just ordinary people,” he said, when asked what above all else he wanted to get across during the campaign about the party and its candidates standing. “We’re not special, we’re not racist, we’re not anything like that.

“We’re just ordinary people who are fed up with the way the country’s going.” He added Reform “can effect change because we are ordinary people representing the common sense folk of North East Lincolnshire”.

Mr Tice pointed to council tax as to why voters should care about local elections on May 7. “If you’ve got better quality councillors, negotiating hard on behalf of residents, then actually you can keep those council bills down to as little as possible whilst still providing good value services.” He argued that is what their candidates in North East Lincolnshire can do if elected.

Voters have until Monday, April 20, to ensure they are registered to vote in May’s local elections. Individuals can register, or check if they are already, via here.

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