Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has praised his party’s campaign in Colchester, despite falling short in last month’s by-election, as he turns his attention towards Essex’s upcoming political battles. Reflecting on the result, Mr Farage said he was “very pleased” with the outcome, describing it as a positive step for the party in a traditionally Labour stronghold.
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He remarked: “We did very, very well. I was very pleased. That is one of Labour’s absolute safest wards, in what’s now become a Labour seat. I thought we did pretty blooming well.”
Labour’s Richard Bourne secured victory with 800 votes, succeeding his predecessor Pam Cox. The Liberal Democrats’ Chantelle Whyborn finished second with 657 votes, while Reform UK’s James Child came third with 600.
“All right, the Lib Dems got a few more than us – that cheesed us off slightly,” Mr Farage admitted. “But frankly, it was a strong performance.” Since May, Reform UK has claimed 41 of 103 council by-election victories across England, taking seats from both Labour and the Conservatives, according to an analysis by the Local Government Chronicle.
Mr Child said he was disappointed with the Colchester result but insisted the campaign had strengthened the party’s local presence.
“I think when we started this process and we had our first meeting, we were under no illusion that this would be hard,” he told the Gazette. “What we have done is raise our profile as Reform UK, grow our party, and learn a lot for the next election.”
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Across England, Reform UK has gained control of ten councils following local elections, winning a total of 677 seats – the largest number of any single party in those contests. However, elections in Essex and eight other regions were postponed due to ongoing devolution proposals, a decision that has angered Mr Farage. The Clacton MP has launched a petition calling for the local elections to proceed in 2026, warning against further delays.
Mr Farage said: “I talked to Sir Bob Russell, the veteran ex-Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester. He makes the argument that the last time we had major local government reorganisation, in the early 1970s, no one cancelled elections – they became part of the process, allowing people to have their say on the shape of local reform.”
He continued: “The argument from Essex County Council is you must cancel these elections because if Reform win, they’ve got a different point of view. But if Reform win, it means the voters and the council taxpayers have got a different point of view.”
