Reform UK announces plan to compete for every division in the Lincolnshire County Council elections in May

Reform UK says it will be putting candidates up in every seat for Lincolnshire’s county-wide elections.

Every seat on Lincolnshire County Council will be up for grabs in May — after it was finally confirmed that the vote will go ahead.

The party, led by Nigel Farage, didn’t win any in the previous 2021 elections, when only four candidates ran shortly after the party was formed.

However deputy leader Richard Tice was successful in winning the Boston & Skegness constituency in last year’s General Election.

The party has confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it is now recruiting candidates for all 70 seats, although didn’t give a goal of what it would consider successful.

53 of the authority’s seats are currently held by the Conservatives, led by Councillor Martin Hill.

Labour, the Independent Group and South Holland Independents each control four seats, with one vacancy and one non-aligned councillor.

Conservative MP for Gainsborough Sir Edward Leigh recently told the BBC that he would be in favour of a merger between his party and Reform.

He said a union would “take on Labour and win the next General Election”.

The next elections may be the last for Lincolnshire County Council amid a major shake-up of local government.

Ministers are looking to eliminate two-tier councils and replace them with single-tier ones that manage all functions.

Leaders have suggested that Lincolnshire merge with North and North East Lincolnshire, and that the county is split into two authorities, although the details will not be confirmed for some time.

Lincolnshire’s elections will go ahead on May 1, at the same time as the first Mayor of the devolved Greater Lincolnshire Authority is chosen.