Politics
Reform Councillor Says ‘UKIP’s Here’ In Fumble For The Ages
A newly-elected Reform UK councillor mistakenly declared that “UKIP’s here” in his first message to voters.
Peter Reeve, who was formally UKIP group leader on Huntingdonshire District Council, has gone viral after accidentally mixing up the two parties.
Speaking to ITV Anglia, Reeve said: “Our message is UKIP’s here, working hard with local communities –”
“UKIP?” The reporter cut in.
“Reform, sorry!” Reeve replied, looking embarrassed. “Reform’s here, working hard with local communities.
“I’ve been doing this for 15 years, from the UKIP days through to Reform.”
The slip-up is especially unfortunate as Reform has tried to distance itself from its rival right-wing party – also once led by Nigel Farage – since getting into the mainstream.
However, the MP for Clacton has himself accidentally called Reform UKIP in the past.
Reeve has just been elected as the new Stanground South councillor on Peterborough City Council.
He’s one of four new Reform councillors within the local authority, taking the party’s total representatives to five out of a possible 18 on the council.
Farage’s party has made major gains among councils in England at the expense of both Labour and the Conservatives, winning almost 300 seats by 9am.
With the two main parties taking heavy losses, Farage has already insisted “what you’re witnessing is an historic change in British politics” even as the count continues.
He added: “Forget left-right, there is no more left-right, it’s gone, it’s out the window, it’s finished. As you can see we’re scoring stunning percentages in traditional old Labour areas.”
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