Winchelsea businessman Aidan Fisher has been elected as Reform UK’s first County Councillor in East Sussex. He was sworn in at County Hall on Wednesday 26 November.
He received 32.9% of the vote in the Ashdown and Conquest ward by-election. There was a 30.9% turn out in the vote on 18 November.
Aidan Fisher said it was a close run election. “Reform UK is a very new party and we were up against the Greens who have a very strong electoral record locally. Out canvassing, people were very interested in us but totally disillusioned by the main parties. They were keen to engage with us.”
He said he joined Reform UK just before last year’s General Election. “We are listening to what people say. The party is the last best chance to turn the country around.”
He will face re-election in May next year. Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, told MPs an East Sussex County Council ballot will take place in spite of changes to the authority. This year’s vote was postponed.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday 24 November he said, “It remains the Government’s intention that those elections will go ahead as scheduled, unless there is a very strong justification otherwise. That is what will happen.”
Voters will also go to the polls on 7 May to chose a new Sussex Mayor.
Image Credits: Aidan Fisher , Russell Hall .
Well done Aidan I too are very disillusioned by the main two parties their going to a massive turn around in British politics very soon.good luck.
Vic
It looks like the end is nigh?
Gerry, it is for this current government.
It’s very easy to feel disillusioned and moan about everything but that is the feeling the conservatives had before voting for Liz Truss to be our PM – Look where that got our country… Reform are just right wing conservatives in poor disguise. Most of their party are people we chucked out in the last election, it’s sad people don’t recognise them for what they really are.
I guess if Reform do form the next government those of us who love our NHS, free press, equal and diverse society, human rights and a vibrant economy can feel disillusioned too.
Why are people disillusioned with the present government, and the previous one, simply because both failed us, talking about vibrant economy tell that to al the business, that are now bearing the brunt, thanks to the empty promises of both governments, that have failed the British people appallingly.
I think, rather than wringing our hands, the best thing to do is to understand what’s actually happening here and why. Firstly, twice as many of those people who bothered to vote, voted against Reform.
John and Vic state that it’s a product of disillusionment, and I agree. It’s not just despair in this cack-handed Govt, which is taxing jobs, chilling growth, arresting pensioners in Hastings, and threatening to abolish trial by jury, but in previous Govts too… We stood on a rake in 2016, and it’s cost us dear. Let’s ensure we don’t do it in 2029 and elect Farage to No.10. A man who not only thought ‘Enoch was right’, but, judging by his behaviour in school, didn’t think Adolf did a bad job either… A man whose Reform UK associates take ‘Cash for Kremlin’ bribes for parroting Putin’s propaganda when they were supposed to be representing British electors… (And none of this is made up!!)
I don’t blame anyone for being cheesed off with our politicians or our un-democratic FPTP election system, which returned a Reform Councillor in Ashdown and Conquest on about 9% of the eligible electorate… But Reform really, really isn’t the answer to our woes… Neither is any other shade of shouty, populist politician peddling slogans as policy…
If we want a politics that listens, the first thing we need is electoral reform to force politicians to work together in our interests. Sir Keir and Helena both oppose that bcs their party comes before people, and they currently enjoy 100% of the power on a shameful 35% of the national vote… But it’s this system which will deliver Farage to No.10…. So, what’s more important? A second Labour term or the future of Britain?
This is not a ‘cack-handed’ Govt. It is a Labour Govt of the inept, dishonest and incompetent that has already driven the country to the edge of despair. They are despicable, spiteful, liars who put policy, party and ideology above UK citizens. Given the stupendous mess this rabble has created in such a short time I am staggered that anyone could consider a second term. It would be the kiss of death for the country. The constant harping about past Reform members behaviour and Farage’s alleged schoolboy utterances only strengthens peoples opinions about some of the veracity of these accusations, they know these come from the mouths of certain politicians whose distance from reality can be somewhat extreme . If Farage, (and lets face it, love him or loath him) has much more credibility at the moment than the other also rans, if he is delivered to No 10, it will be entirely down to the distrust, dislike and contempt voters have for the other parties. One major mistake (made by Labour, Libs, Greens, Our party) is treating the electorate as village idiots. Many people I know, fact check what they read, and get their news from across the spectrum. Lets face it, right now, Reform cannot make much more of a mess of this mess we are already in.
I have to push back on several points here.
First, the idea that the current government has “already driven the country to the edge of despair” ignores the reality that they inherited years of economic stagnation, crumbling public services, labour shortages, and unresolved structural problems. You can argue about how effectively they are tackling these issues, but pretending that all of the UK’s challenges suddenly materialised in the past year simply isn’t credible. Governing is difficult, especially when you step into a situation that was already deeply strained.
Calling the government “despicable liars” isn’t an argument, it’s just name-calling. Criticise specific policies, criticise delivery, criticise outcomes, but sweeping insults don’t substitute for evidence. If the electorate is really as well-informed as you say, then they will also remember what the last decade looked like and they will recognise that complex problems are not fixed overnight.
As for Reform, it’s fair to say that some people are attracted to what they see as straight-talking, but that doesn’t magically turn sound bites into serious policy. Having ‘credibility’ is not the same as having workable, costed, deliverable plans. Reform has made a lot of noise but has not been tested in government, has not had its proposals stress-tested by independent bodies and has not demonstrated how it would handle the compromises and constraints of actually running a country. Complaining about the record of others is easy, but governing is not.
Dismissing concerns about past behaviour, both of some Reform candidates and of Farage himself, as if they are mere smears, is equally unconvincing. When a party wants to lead a country, scrutiny is not an optional extra. Every other party undergoes it. Reform does not get a free pass just because some supporters find the questions inconvenient.
You say Reform “can’t make much more of a mess”. That assumes that tearing up trade relationships, slashing services without consequence or pushing simplistic slogans in place of detailed plans would have no downside. In reality, the UK’s challenges require serious, grounded policymaking, not the political equivalent of saying “it can’t get any worse”.
I agree that the electorate is not full of “village idiots”. That is precisely why they deserve more than a sweeping condemnation and the uncritical cheerleading of a party that has yet to demonstrate it can handle the responsibility it is asking for.
In response to Neil Archers comment ——-A vibrant economy ? Yer aving a larf. The NHS? A monolithic quango that has the ability to absorb billions of pounds and still maintain its ill managed status quo (it performs dramatically worse then most continental healthcare systems). Equal and diverse? Yep, women only spaces, being denied, men in women’s sports being promoted (despite the High Court clarification) these are some of the go to solutions in the progressive woke halls of the ‘diversity’ obsessed. Human rights? Think of ECHR and ambulance chasing lawyers, loadsamoney being squandered and small boat arrivals larging it up. Being fed, housed in warm comfortable hotels, whilst some UK veterans and pensioners are left scratching around for a blanket to keep warm and a bowl to put their soup in. ‘Free press’? Just watch what you tweet or the men in black will be around. It is sad supporters of this current government don’t recognise them for what they really are. There is a saying : ‘There are none so blind as those that will not see’.
Cliff, may I ask, how much does an asylum-seeker in full board accommodation receive per week? *
May I also point out, Cliff, the plight of many former service personnel has nothing whatever to do with our obligations under international or domestic law wrt asylum seekers. Indeed, our servicemen and women risk their lives to defend those laws and should be thanked for it.
If you are motivated by the plight of ex service personnel, you can volunteer for the RBL, support charities like The Stoll Foundation etc, or local organisations like Veterans Growth in Westfield.
The substantial problems this country faces are not the fault of women, transgender people, migrants or human rights laws.
* £8.86
Sorry guv, I was acting under orders (our obligations under international law? and domestic law?). Now where did I hear that before? The ‘asylum-seeker in FULL BOARD says it all. It is hundreds of pounds per person of tax payers money per week. If I had to flee war torn France I would be more than happy to receive £8.86 a week in exchange for a warm room, hot and cold running water, a sewerage system that works, plentiful good food and no worries as to who pays the bill. The plight of service personnel and vulnerable pensioners has everything to do in contrast with the vast amounts of tax payers money squandered on illegal immigration. I did not blame the substantial (read chaotic) problems this countries faces on the factions, you claim I did. The countries situation is caused by inept, useless, incompetent, disingenuous, liars (and those that support them) who purport to be the politicians that we naively voted for to safeguard our wellbeing and country.
As for being motivated, I’ve probably wrung more seawater out of my socks than many of the ‘motivated’ have sailed on.
As I said before ‘There are none so blind as those that will not see’.
Interesting Guy has a lot to say about the Ashdown result, but what happened to his Lib Dems, as for belittling Nige Farage,what has he got to say about Ed Davey and his involvement in Horizon, and the squalid post office scandal, yes Guy we can all throw stones at glass houses, but at the end of the day, the truth of the matter always Prevails.
Thanks for the LibDem shout out, John! I knew I could rely on you!
Yes, Ed Davey was one of 16 postal affairs ministers of all parties who were lied to in writing repeatedly by Post Office executives.
He was also the first Minister to meet Alan Bates. Yet he’s still apologised and expressed regret, which was right given the impact on the victims.
Has Farage apologised for knocking 4% off GDP by promoting Brexit? Has Reform UK apologised for doing the Kremlin’s bidding, John? All this nonsense about Davey is desperate distraction… Finally, Reform UK are getting the press they deserve. And the jail time…
Aaaaah one of the ‘remainers’ top ten songs ‘4% off of GDP’ The problem is it’s a well scratched record. Remember 17,423,282 of the populace voted for Brexit. If Farage was complicit in encouraging that amount of voters, then surely ‘he be tha man’ to be our next Prime Minister. As for Ed Davey and the Post Office. Davey refused to meet Alan Bates as Davey considered it would not serve any purpose. Sure he apologised, after admitting he didn’t even remember reading Bates first letter, it only took about ten years to get around to it though.
Keep bad mouthing Farage & Co, it is helping to up Reform membership.
Talk about a shot in the foot.
PS: FYI I don’t particularly like any politicians.
In the light of Mr Fisher’s victory we would do well to consider how Reform have fared as they took control of Kent CC. To date Reform have lost a significant number of councillors owing to the revelation of toxic material on social media and it would appear profound disagreements over direction. If this continues they will lose their majority. We should also note that they have overspent by £46.5 million. However, their indomitable leader, Linden Kemkaren, has provided us with some great insights on how to chair a meeting.