Last Thursday’s local elections in England were not only disastrous for the British moderate right – the ruling Conservative Party lost more than a thousand seats. UKIP and Reform UK, the two far-right parties associated with Nigel Farage, have practically disappeared from the map. Councils He disputed that.
UKIP lost all 25 of its councilors in these constituencies and the former Brexit party – which changed its name after the UK leaves the EU in 2020 – won just two more seats, adding a total of six elected councillors.
If the performance of UKIP eurosceptics was already expected, bearing in mind that when Farage backed them, they lost strength and media attention, precisely the case of the Brexit Party, the populists and the anti-establishment. (Reformation) is particularly painful for its leaders, who in recent months have been denied the status of third-largest political force in the country in polls.
After the disastrous (and short) government of Liz Truss, who tried to implement unprecedented tax cuts, Reform UK doubled its percentage of voting intentions, calling on neoliberal conservatives disillusioned with the replacement of Prime Minister Rishi Chung. And he promised to wrangle voters and representatives The Tories.
In English local elections, not only did it fail to attract a significant number of Conservative voters, it managed only 6% of the total vote. Councils He competed in it.
In reports telegramits leader, Richard Dice, has said that reform has been “brutally damaged” by the UK electoral system, which he says has benefited the main parties and his latest party insists: “Look, Rome was not founded in a day. We are a new party”, he said. He explained to the newspaper.
In its previous life as a Brexit party, Reform UK had already won the 2019 European Parliament elections, so it was not an unfamiliar political force to most voters. While Farage was politically active during the pandemic, he considered himself an anti-prison party.
Dice said the party had “changed the fate of many seats” when it went to the polls in English elections, and guaranteed the decision would not affect its core political mission: the Conservative Party “will never do that again.” A majority government in the National Parliament.
Quoted by the BBC, Ben Walker, leader of UKIP – a party that won a European election in 2014 – was very creative in justifying the loss of 25 councilors who went to the polls, saying most of the seats in question no longer belong. For the party, from the moment its holders “defection” or run as independents to other political forces.
However, in constituencies not involved in Thursday’s vote, UKIP still has some representation at council level.
230 people participated in local elections in England Councils And more than eight thousand municipal council posts are in dispute. Labor won more votes and more seats, strengthening its bid to win the next legislative election scheduled for 2024.
The Liberal Democrats and the Greens are also on the list of parties that have reason to smile in this election, defying expectations.
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