Reform UK said it will “welcome scrutiny” of its elected representatives after making significant gains in polls across England, Scotland, and Wales, according to a May 9 statement.
The party’s performance is notable as it gained more than 1,400 councillors in England, surpassing the Conservatives in Essex and Suffolk and advancing ahead of Labour in traditional northern and Midlands strongholds. Reform UK also came second in the Welsh Parliament elections behind Plaid Cymru and tied with Labour for second place in Scotland.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman, said the party would not take “voters for granted” following what he described as a “historic set of results for the country.” Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Yusuf said Reform UK was “the only truly national party that is competitive across the country” and had taken “a big leap towards” making Nigel Farage prime minister. He added: “What Reform has done for the first time in my political lifetime is offer a viable and real alternative to those two old parties. We will never take voters for granted.”
Yusuf addressed increased attention on the party since last year’s local elections when they gained control of ten councils. He stated: “We welcome scrutiny. But I would argue no party has had their record in local government more scrutinised.” He continued: “The reality is this: we have been scrutinised on our local government record and voters have turned out in their millions because they have seen, for example, that Reform has done a better job than any other political party.” Yusuf also emphasized priorities such as secure borders, cost of living issues, and restoring law and order.
Peter Harris, a county councillor from Essex representing Reform UK, acknowledged that his party now carries an “enormous amount of responsibility,” saying: “But we promised lots of hard work and lots of effort making sure that we deliver what they want and their priorities.” Harris noted plans to pursue short-term improvements while aiming to make councils more efficient over time.
Polling expert Sir John Curtice observed that Reform UK’s strongest results were found where voters supported Brexit heavily during the 2016 referendum. The BBC’s projected national share suggested that if all Great Britain voted similarly to these results, Reform UK would secure 26% support compared with lower shares for other major parties.
Labour leader George Duggins described his own party’s losses as a “catastrophic” setback after several key councils shifted away from Labour control.
