Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says Sunderland ‘deserves better’

The Reform UK leader, who was speaking ahead of a ‘headline’ event’ in Houghton-le-Spring on March 26, said he would visit the area as it “deserves better than the managed decline delivered by Labour and the Conservatives”.

He will be hoping it proves as fruitful as a rally at Sunderland Live ahead of last year’s local elections when Reform took control of Durham County Council.

Nigel Farage said: “I’m coming to Sunderland because this community deserves better than the managed decline delivered by Labour and the Conservatives.

“They have broken Britain, and they refuse to admit it.

“This campaign is about telling the truth and offering real change.

“Reform UK is ready to fix Britain – but we can’t do it without you.”

Sunderland City Council has been a Labour stronghold for decades, with the party currently holding a clear majority on the council, and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats forming the main opposition groups.

However, recent elections have shown a more crowded field.

In the 2024 local elections, Reform UK pushed the Conservatives into third place in wards where Labour still won, while the Greens and Liberal Democrats also polled consistently in several seats.

In late 2025, Reform won its first seat on the council in a Hetton by-election, taking more than 45 per cent of the vote and overturning a long‑standing Labour ward.

Reform’s vote share has grown recently in other areas, including pushing into second place behind Labour in Hartlepool, Spennymoor, North Durham and Newton Aycliffe at the 2024 General Election.

The rally event will take place at 7pm at the Sunderland Live arena on Thursday, March 26, with the party touting speeches from Farage and other party figures. It is open to party members and supporters, and ticketed costing a fiver.