NewsBeat
Excl: Reform Mayoral Candidate Said Brexit Impacted Skilled Workforce
Reform UK’s candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoral race admitted Brexit “exacerbated” shortages in tradespeople, HuffPost UK can reveal.
Despite voting Leave in the 2016 EU referendum, she wrote: “There’s a massive shortage of skilled builders and tradespeople in the UK and that’ll be exacerbated post-Brexit”.
The Reform councillor’s comments emerged as she prepares to take on Labour’s Bev Craig in the mayoral by-election on July 30.
In separate comments on X in 2018, she defended her decision to back Brexit.
She said: “I couldn’t give a rats ass if people don’t like that I voted Out. Already ghosted by politico bullies & virtue signalling ‘friends’, viewed as not on the ‘right side’.”
Reform UK has been approached for comment.
Astley is hoping to replace Andy Burnham as Greater Manchester mayor after he won the Makerfield by-election last month.
Labour’s Bev Craig is currently the frontrunner to replace him in the July 30 poll.
A June survey carried out by FocalData for campaign group Hope Not Hate found Labour is expected to win with an estimated 33.2% of the first preference support, while Reform trail slightly behind on 30.1%.
The Greens’ Geraldine Coggins is in third place on 12.5% followed by the Tories’ Phil Eckersley and 7.6% for the Liberal Democrats’ Richard Kilpatrick.
Reform has been the subject of intense scrutiny since it was emerged in April that Farage failed to declare a £5 million donation he received shortly before he became an MP in 2024.
He was the subject of a parliamentary sleaze probe, but on Tuesday – long before the results of the investigation could be shared – Farage chose to stand down as Clacton MP to trigger a “people versus establishment” contest.
He is running to win his seat again, but all other parties have pulled out of the race describing it as a “circus” and a ploy.
It currently looks like Farage will be facing up against comedy candidate Count Binface.
According to The Guardian, Reform activists have been urged to divert their efforts from the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election to Farage’s new fight in Clacton.
Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login