How credible Labour candidates kept Reform at bay
Reform UK was much less successful than elsewhere, even in 'red wall' towns such as Prudhoe and Haltwhistle. The success was based on credible local candidates who exposed the poor record of the Conservative-run Northumberland county council for the past eight years.
On the doorstep, there was much unhappiness with the Labour government and many voters were considering voting for Reform. We kept Reform at bay by listening to concerns, agreeing that we wanted a change of direction from the government and by promoting a positive vision of local Labour policies for Northumberland.
We made a point of talking about the positive contribution of immigrants to our locality. The government needs to reset its political compass and not make the mistake of trying to mimic Reform. There is also the need for the Labour party to listen to members, particularly those who have run campaigns that have successfully defeated Reform at the ballot box this month. I look forward to hearing from Morgan McSweeney.John HanleyChair, Prudhoe, Wylam and Stocksfield Labour party
Your editorial writes of the first-past-the-post electoral system being 'designed' to keep out extremism. In fact it wasn't designed for anything and was simply the consequence of the introduction of equal electoral districts, each returning a single MP, in 1885. Since then, it has suited the purpose of the major parties to keep this 19th-century relic. But whether its retention is truly in the interests of Labour – which has held power for just 28 years in the last century – seems very doubtful.Howard SpencerHove, East Sussex
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