Reforming Politics-Power to the People!

So, Reform UK has risen from the ashes of The Brexit Party, which rose from the ashes of the UK Independence Party, the glue binding them, one Nigel Farage. Now they are the largest party at Leicestershire County Council, they also won the closely contested Runcorn and Helsby by-election, taking the seat from Labour to make Sarah Pochin its fifth MP. Nigel Farage’s party won 677 of around 1,600 seats, which translates to 10 of the 23 councils up for grabs. They now have control of councils in Derbyshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Doncaster, Durham, North Northamptonshire, and West Northamptonshire. Reform won its first mayoral contests in the newly created combined authorities of Greater Lincolnshire, and Hull and East Yorkshire

This time around the City of Leicester was not up for grabs. If it had been who would you have voted for? Did you vote last time around in the local elections? Did you vote in the last general election? If you didn’t vote, is it because you can’t be bothered, because you don’t think that your vote has any effect, or do you simply hate politics?

I am guessing a lot of people are not motivated to vote in local elections but do so in general elections because they see them as more important. Talking to other voters I get the impression many are weary and disenchanted with the whole political system and are time after time left feeling that no matter who gets into power little changes for the good for them as individuals. Some feel they never get the government they voted for. If you vote Green or Liberal Democrat, you will most definitely feel that way as in the UK with first past the post, we effectively have had a two-party system. Perhaps now three with Reform’s latest performance which Sir John Curtice, Professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, quoting a BBC projection, suggests would secure 30% of the vote for Reform UK if the local elections had been a general election, and thus Reform UK would be elected to government. That would please some and horrify others.

One consistent issue that dogs us all is all the hype, bluster, false promises and back biting that goes on during electioneering. Much of it simply scaremongering, manipulation of facts and figures and even downright lies. Yes, I did say lies!

So, what part has such behaviour by our elected representatives to play in terms of democracy and our democratic rights? The answer is none what-so-ever. No matter what your political beliefs, if you are persuaded by distortions of truth or by downright terminological in exactitudes the decisions you make cannot be valid, thus you are stripped of your democratic right to choose. On top of this if you are asked your preference and those preferences are ignored or not acted upon you may well rightly feel short changed.

In Evington we witnessed such issues at local level when our elected representatives and the quango which runs our pharmacy and GP services, the Integrated Care Board (ICB) allowed J&A Pharmacy, the post office and the Common GP surgery to close using arguments and consultations so flawed as to make them democratically disrespectful. Now the City Council has our library in their sights.

In my previous piece I referred to the organisation ‘Compassion in Politics’ who are campaigning to eradicate such unfair and undemocratic tactics used by most players in local and national elections. If this is successful, which needs your support, it will also filter down to those dealing with our local services. So, it is worth pursuing. Here is a link to an update from them on the recent election.

Petition update · Reform’s lies are a threat to democracy · Change.org · Change.org

Here is a link to the Compassion in politics website Compassion in Politics

John McFadyen

11/05/25