As local elections approach on Thursday, 1 May, Reform UK looks set to make a significant impact. Since Nigel Farage took the reins 11 months ago, the party’s polling numbers have doubled, rising from 12 to 25 per cent. With hundreds of council seats in their sights and the potential to snatch a parliamentary seat from Labour in Runcorn, Reform’s local groundwork is gaining serious traction. Farage himself remains bullish, suggesting his chances of becoming Prime Minister sit between 35 and 45 per cent – a bold ambition voiced during a whirlwind campaign tour of traditional Tory heartlands.
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From Hemel Hempstead to Redditch, Farage’s campaign blends pub meet-and-greets with sharp critiques of both local councils and national leadership. Candidates in Reform’s signature turquoise rosettes have been energised by grassroots momentum, with a diverse – though still predominantly white and male – group rallying behind the message of “common sense politics.” At the Red Lion in Hertfordshire, Farage railed against what he called “woke” politics, including a sign linking Churchill to colonialism. “It’s broken and Reform are going to fix it,” he proclaimed, promising the sign’s removal if elected. Young candidate Harrison Grose, campaigning alongside his father, captured the movement’s mood: once nervous, he now finds voters “secretly” supporting Reform on the doorstep.
Further west at a Cheltenham brewery, Farage took aim at spending on diversity programmes and oat milk initiatives, calling them out of touch with ordinary Britons. Though Labour has attacked his past musings about NHS reform using fake invoices, Farage doubled down on his suggestion that an insurance-based approach might yield better outcomes while insisting he supports the NHS being free at the point of use. His critics also question his stance on Ukraine and Putin, with Farage sidestepping talk of war crimes but conceding Crimea is unlikely to return to Ukraine. He also dismissed any notion of softening trade union laws, despite courting disaffected Labour voters in the Midlands and North.
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At every stop – from Shrewsbury to Bedworth to Redditch – the campaign was meticulously choreographed for social media, with Farage donning Ray-Bans equipped with cameras and receiving daily viewership stats. His engagement eclipses that of Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch, underscoring Reform’s online reach. Yet, challenges persist. Questions about gender balance, online abuse of candidates, and Labour’s effective NHS counterattacks remain unresolved. Still, under pub lights and rally cries of “Reform!”, Farage presses on. “Run for the line,” he urges candidates in his closing address. “Do your absolute best. You may even surprise yourselves.”
