Farage blames Makerfield defeat on anti-Starmer votes

Nigel Farage says he is disappointed with Reform UK’s performance in the Makerfield by-election, as he blamed his party’s defeat on a desire among voters to eject Sir Keir Starmer from Downing Street.

The Reform leader claimed frustration with the embattled prime minister had driven Andy Burnham’s “emphatic” Labour victory over his party’s candidate, Rob Kenyon, who finished more than 9,000 votes behind.

Farage blames Makerfield defeat on anti-Starmer votes, BBC

Reform UK in THIRD place as Nigel Farage’s party loses Staffordshire by-election

The Conservatives have won back Eccleshall & Gnosall on Staffordshire County Council

Reform UK has lost one of the Staffordshire County Council seats it won on May 1 – just 78 days after that landslide victory. Reform UK swept to power in May after winning 49 of the 62 Staffordshire County Council divisions.

But a by-election was triggered just days later after offensive social media posts from Councillor Wayne Titley led to his resignation. Now the Conservatives have regained Eccleshall & Gnosall following this morning’s election result.

Reform UK in THIRD place as Nigel Farage’s party loses Staffordshire by-election, stokesentinel.co.uk

Reform UK accused of “blatant racism” over by-election advert

@bbcphilipsim

Reform UK accused of “blatant racism” over by-election advert attacking Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar #politics #scotland

♬ original sound – Phil Sim
Reform UK accused of “blatant racism” over by-election advert, bbcphilipsim, tiktok

Reform council leader defends by-election cost

The Reform UK leader of a council has accused other political parties of hypocrisy over their reaction to the cost of a by-election, after one of his councillors resigned.

Wayne Titley won the Eccleshall and Gnosall ward for Reform earlier in May but faced criticism over a social media post around immigration and stepped down.

His resignation means a by-election at an estimated £27,000 cost and the Conservative leader on the council called it a “waste of money”.

Reform council leader defends by-election cost, BBC

Reform councillors begin to quit

‘Embarrassing’ councillors

Nigel Farage hailed his party’s election success as proof that Reform had professionalised but, just a few weeks on, “the truth is beginning to emerge”, said The New European, “as newly-elected Reform councillors begin to quit, wasting tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money” on by-election costs for their replacements.

The New European via theweek.com