Polling expert Sir John Curtis has suggested that if Reform “keep on winning” then Nigel Farage’s party could be “heading for 800 seats” in the local elections.
Reform UK has claimed Lincolnshire, Durham, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire councils.
Farage declared on Friday that Reform is now the “main opposition party” standing against Labour.
Farage told GB News, “These elections are about council elections, about what the council can do and the mayoral elections, about what the mayor can do. And it’s really important that we focus on the remit that’s appropriate.
“But understandably, people voted for a whole host of other reasons. I completely get that. And I say, believe me, we are still learning the lessons of last year’s election.
“We will take this beating with humility, as we did last year’s election, because we do need to show the public that we understand and we are still in the process of renewal. We’re under new leadership, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
Reform’s new Staffordshire County councillor, Martin Murray said he is “ecstatic” after winning the seat, he added, “We will deliver continuation of services without change.”
Murray said, “We will do what is right for everybody. In time we will improve those services and give you better value for money.”
Sir John told the BBC, “The truth is, according to simple arithmetic, if Reform keep on winning around half of all the seats declared, they’re heading for 800 seats in the end.
“That’s not a forecast, it’s just to give an indication of direction of travel.
“If that’s the outcome, Reform will suddenly look like more of a threat to the established parties than they did just a few hours ago,” he added.
A Labour MP blasted Sir Keir Starmer over the winter fuel and welfare cuts, saying that the government needs to tackle the “real causes of falling living standards.”
Nadia Whittome said, “Cutting disability benefits and scrapping the Winter Fuel Allowance made voters abandon us.
“The leadership needs to end its obsession with chasing the far-right on immigration, which only bolsters Reform. Instead, we must tackle the real causes of falling living standards and broken public services like austerity, de-industrialisation, and climate vandalism.
“Tax the super-rich and multinational corporations. Scrap the disability benefit cuts and the two-child limit. End austerity. Put money in people’s pockets. Work together to build a fairer, healthier, and more equal society. This is the programme we need.”
Another Labour MP, Brian Leishman blasted, “Runcorn shows Labour must change course.
“People voted for real change last July & an end to austerity.
“The first 10 months haven’t been good enough or what the people want & if we don’t improve people’s living standards then the next government will be an extreme right wing one.”
