A Reform UK councillor in Leicestershire has defected to a new party recently launched by MP Rupert Lowe.
Charles Whitford, previously a member of Leicestershire County Council’s cabinet, announced he had moved to Restore Britain on Thursday.
Reform UK councillor defects to Restore Britain, BBC
Day: 20 February 2026
Reform wants to put public unions ‘under review’, by-election candidate has said
Comments late last year indicate challenges Farage faces in courting working-class voters
Reform UK’s candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election has said the party would put public sector unions “under review” if it came to power, in a sign of the challenges Nigel Farage faces as he seeks to court working-class voters.
“[Reform] will place public sector trade unions under review,” Matthew Goodwin said during a speech in early December, before the by-election had been called, at which he set out a wide-ranging policy vision for a Reform government to “fix broken Britain”.
Reform wants to put public unions ‘under review’, by-election candidate has said, ft.com