Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is set to launch a legal challenge over the Government’s decision to delay May’s mayoral elections, according to reports.
More than five million people in four regions across the south and east of England won’t be able to vote due to the Government’s move.
The Government, which announced the elections would be delayed on Tuesday, said the delay was necessary because local authorities needed more time to merge as part of reforms to give regions more power.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s director of policy, described the Government’s actions as “blatant attempt to stop big wins” for the right wing party.
His remarks come after latest YouGov polling indicated a Reform candidate would have been likely to have won a seat in each the affected areas – Greater Essex, Hampshire and the Solent, Sussex and Brighton, and Norfolk and Suffolk.
Farage told The Telegraph the party is “actively pursuing a judicial review action against the Government over yet another attempt to delay elections where they fear Reform will win”.
He added: “Labour’s plans to cancel even more votes this year than last year must be challenged.”
The planned lawsuit comes after Reform UK gained its first member of the House of Lords today due to Lord Offord of Garvel defecting to the party from the Conservatives.
The former Tory peer was announced as the party’s latest high-profile member during its rally in Falkirk.
The Scottish financier previously served as a Scotland Office minister during the last Conservative government, and was the Scottish Tories’ treasurer at the time of his defection.
After the announcement, Lord Offord of Gavel said: “The first objective is to remove this rotten SNP Government after 18 years, and the second is to present a positive vision for Scotland inside the UK, to restore Scotland to being a prosperous, proud, healthy and happy country.”
If the latest YouGov polling was mapped onto the area covered by the new Greater Essex “mayoral combined county authority”, Reform would take 34 per cent of the vote.
This would put it more than 10 points clear of the Conservatives in second.
Reform UK was also polling at 34 per cent in Norfolk and Suffolk at the time the MRP survey was conducted in September.
Reform UK’s share had a 27 per cent share in the mayoral area of Hampshire and the Solent.
Its had tightest winning margin in Sussex and Brighton, where the poll suggested it would take 25 per cent of the vote. A Liberal Democrat candidate was in second place with 22 per cent.
Nigel Farage shakes hands with Lord Offord of Garvel at the Reform UK rally in Falkirk (Photo: Getty Images)A Reform UK source claimed the party thinks it has a “strong chance” of getting the judicial review to trial.
Reform has instructed a KC, who will examine the legality of the Government’s decision to delay the elections.
This will include whether the Government should have laid a statutory instrument legislative process to postpone elections.
They will also advise on whether a breach of legitimate expectation had taken place, and if there was procedural impropriety on the grounds that the Government did carry out a consultation ahead of their decision.
Reform will also look at whether there has been a breach of the Human Rights Act under the right to free and fair elections.
The elections in the four areas have been pushed back by two years to May 2028 in order for combined authorities led by mayors to be established.
This involves abolishing district councils and merging them to produce new unitary councils – government bodies responsible for all local services in a given area – that can be brought together in a combined authority.
Reform made huge gains in other council elections last May, where they gained more than 600 seats and took control of 10 councils.
Your next read
square LIZ TRUSSThe bizarre claims made by Liz Truss on new YouTube show
square POLITICSLabour MPs losing patience with Reeves’s ‘cute politics’ – but some blame Starmer
square POLITICSPupils and teachers with flu symptoms told to stay home from school
square NEWSMore parents on universal credit to get childcare costs paid upfront
A Government spokesman hit out at Reform UK’s move, saying the reforms were aimed at “handing control back to communities”, and gave each region £200m of investment every year.
They added: “This will deliver the homes, better transport and jobs these communities want. It is right that local government reorganisation is completed in these regions first so that devolution is built on a strong foundation. We make no apologies for taking this responsible approach.
“Reform should be welcoming this vital investment, but it is no wonder that Nigel Farage’s chaotic and divisive response is to waste taxpayers’ money with a pointless legal challenge.”
Hence then, the article about farage set to launch lawsuit over delayed elections which reform were tipped to win was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Farage set to launch lawsuit over delayed elections which Reform were tipped to win )
Also on site :
- Hundreds of popular grocery, drug-store items recalled due to ‘filth' at Midwest distribution center
- Passengers stuck on Delta flight for more than two hours after landing at Rochester airport
- Body recovered from Lake Natoma amid search for missing man