Reform wins first Salford council seat after by-election slammed as ‘indefensible’

Reform UK has been accused of a “complete lack of respect” after a party candidate triggered a standalone by-election, expected to cost more than £20,000, for an area that will go to the polls again in just two weeks.

Residents of Barton and Winton, in Salford, voted on Wednesday to elect a new councillor following the death of David Lancaster, who had held the seat since 1965.

Michael Felse was duly elected and has become Reform UK’s first member on Salford City Council, winning with 676 votes to Labour’s 643 – a narrow 33 – to represent the ward.

But Labour sources have criticised Reform for triggering the by-election, describing the move as “unnecessary” and “indefensible”. The party, which lost the seat, points out that the event will have cost the local authority over £20,000, despite a third of the council’s seats being up for election on May 7, when it also could have been held.

The by-election was called by Lewis Croden, another Reform UK candidate in Salford, and a relative of his. Reports indicate that the pair were able to force the event under a rule from the Local Government Act 1972, where two local electors can trigger a by-election within 35 days of formally requesting by writing to a senior council officer.

Mr Croden and his relative made the request less than two months after the passing of Barton and Winton Mr Lancaster, who was England’s longest serving councillor.

A local Labour spokesperson said: “The decision by Salford Reform UK to trigger an unnecessary early by‑election in Barton & Winton was entirely indefensible.

“The financial implications of this decision are significant. A stand‑alone by‑election costs the council over £20,000, when it could have been seamlessly incorporated into the citywide elections in May. In addition, the extension of the pre‑election period has disrupted other workstreams across the authority, potentially at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds.

“That a duly nominated Salford Reform UK candidate chose to trigger this by‑election before the late councillor David Lancaster (the longest‑serving councillor in the country, who served the people of Salford with distinction for over 60 years) had even been laid to rest demonstrates a complete lack of decorum and respect.”

Responding to the allegations, Mr Croden said: “Salford has been taken for granted by Labour for years. Public money is being wasted on a loss making stadium, £668 million in high interest PFI debt, and over £100 million wasted on a failed clean air charge zone. Time we fix our roads and fund essential services.”

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.