Nigel Farage disregarded the idea of potential coalitions between Reform UK and Tory councillors following the upcoming local elections, despite Kemi Badenoch’s suggestion for possible cooperation. Badenoch had mentioned that Tory local leaders could work together with Reform UK if necessary to maintain the functioning of councils. However, Farage made it clear that Reform UK had no intentions of forming alliances with the Tories at any level, although he did hint at the possibility of establishing informal working relationships with other parties.
Local power-sharing arrangements among different parties have become more common, with an increasing number of councils not being under the sole control of one party in recent years. Reform UK currently holds approximately 100 council seats, mostly due to defections from other parties, and aims to enhance its representation in the upcoming elections for rural and suburban council seats in England on May 1st. Despite only contesting 12% of available council seats in the last local elections, the party is now competing in nearly all of the 1,600 council seats up for reelection next month in a bid to secure a stronger position for future national elections.
Badenoch has rejected the idea of a nationwide electoral pact with Reform, accusing Farage of attempting to dismantle the Conservative party. Nonetheless, questions have arisen regarding whether Tory councillors would be permitted to engage in agreements with Reform UK for local governance. When asked about potential local deals, Badenoch emphasized that local leaders must make decisions about running their councils after the elections, pointing out that Tories are already part of various coalitions with other parties at a local level.
Farage, on the other hand, has not completely ruled out the possibility of informal cooperation with other parties to share power. He emphasized the importance of working with sensible and pragmatic individuals to accomplish tasks, highlighting the need for collaboration at local levels. While formal coalitions with the Tories seem unlikely, he mentioned the potential for maintaining working relationships to serve the interests of local residents. Historically, The Brexit Party, now known as Reform UK, has engaged in coalitions with Tory and independent councillors to govern Hartlepool Council in 2019, indicating that local power-sharing agreements among different parties are not unprecedented
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