By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Reform UK say they will be fielding a candidate in all 55 seats in the upcoming Gloucestershire County Council election.
The political party led by Nigel Farage will be hoping to build on its national election results last year.
The party came third in the Gloucester, Forest of Dean, South Cotswolds, Stroud and Tewkesbury constituencies polling 7,307, 8,194, 5,146, 6,329 and 6,000 respectively.
Reform is also understood to have approached and tried to woo several sitting Conservative County councillors in Gloucestershire.
Local activists spotted canvassing in Gloucester recently, criticised the Tory administration at Shire Hall.
They have blasted them for raising taxes and they claim the Conservatives “have failed to deliver key services”.
However, the Tories have hit back at Reform which they have labelled as a party with “no policy and no experience in local government”.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: “We will be standing in every single council seat across the country, including Gloucestershire, to provide people with a real alternative to the tired parties of old.
“The Conservatives have failed the people of Gloucestershire. Their national obsession with tax rises has filtered down to the local level as they continue raising taxes on ordinary people whilst failing to deliver key services. Gloucestershire needs Reform.”
County Council leader Stephen Davies said running a local authority is an important and serious business.
“It is hard to know how to react to a statement from an organisation that has no policy and no experience in Local Government and no track record in Gloucestershire,” he said.
“We have one of the lower council taxes in the South West while also providing good and improving services to the people of Gloucestershire across the board.
“Running a local authority is an important and serious business and not the place for cheap sound bites.”
Gloucestershire County Council elections will take place on May 1. This year the county will also have a new political map.
A review by the Local Government Boundary Commission recommended that the county’s residents should be represented by 55 councillors.
This is an increase of two councillors from the current arrangements.
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk
Original post on the Gloucestershire News Centre website
Gloucestershire News Centre