Reform UK wins second council seat in Norfolk
Reform UK has won its second seat on a council in Norfolk, taking more than half the vote.
Scott Hussey was elected on to Breckland District Council following a by-election triggered by the resignation of Conservative Ian Sherwood.
Hussey won comfortably, taking 54% of the vote, with the Tories second place on 23%.
He joins Robin Hunter Clarke – who defected from the Tories to Reform last month – on the council.
The result is the first council seat won by the party in Norfolk at an election.
It was welcomed by the Reform UK MP for Great Yarmouth, Rupert Lowe, who posted on X that it was "a big Reform Norfolk win".
Hunter Clarke said the result proved that "the public demand real change".
"This is just the beginning," he added.
Hussey stood for Reform in the Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket constituency during the 2024 general election, finishing third, with the seat won by Labour.
Sherwood – who previously worked in the parliamentary office of former Prime Minister Liz Truss - won the seat for the Conservatives with 52.6% of the vote in 2003.
He resigned from his seat last month.
The Breckland Conservatives have been asked for comment.
Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Plans approved for a new Next in Norfolk town
Reality TV accused of stigmatising social housing
Council puts brakes on plans for car park charges
Breckland District Council
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
7 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Let the chips fall': New B.C. party's leader vows to go where others won't
VICTORIA - The interim leader of B.C.'s newest political party says it will raise issues other parties won't dare to touch. Dallas Brodie said these included the effects of the 'reconciliation industry,' electoral reform, and ending mass immigration, and she will 'let the chips fall where they may' when it's time to run for re-election. The new One BC party went public on Thursday, with Brodie announcing herself as interim leader and Tara Armstrong house leader as they unveiled plans to combat what Brodie called 'the globalist assault' on B.C.'s history, culture and families. 'Tara and I are taking a principled stance,' Brodie said in an interview on Friday. 'We believe that there is room for the discussions that we are raising, and we will take our shots at the polls, and we will do our best to build (the party).' Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad kicked Brodie out of caucus in March following comments about residential schools, and Armstrong and Jordan Kealy followed her out. All three sat as Independents before the creation of One BC, and Kealy said he hasn't ruled out joining the new party, although he has doubts about its chances. Brodie said the party has four planks: major cuts to taxes and government spending; dismantling 'the reconciliation industry and ending racist laws like … the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act;' ending mass immigration, and introducing democratic reform that would see most B.C. residents vote on the same day with ballots counted by hand. The party's website also calls for the support of a 'broad array of life-affirming policies to increase birthrates, marriage rates, and life expectancy among other indicators of a healthy and vibrant society.' Brodie acknowledged that her former party had campaigned on many of those issues, when asked what her new party is offering that the Conservatives aren't. 'Also what we ran on was being strong on social issues, and that has been all watered down by the Conservative Party,' she said. '(There) is almost no difference between them and the NDP that I can see at this point — it's NDP and NDP Light.' Brodie said she believes there are other members of the legislature who will join her party, but she declined to identify them. Two sitting members in the house give One BC official party status, which Brodie said would make the party more 'interesting to other MLAs, who are still in the Conservative caucus.' Kealy said in an interview Friday that he questioned the new party's electoral prospects. 'I think they'll have a very difficult time getting re-elected, because I think that spectrum of (potential) voters is becoming disenfranchised, and in all honesty, I think talk is cheap.' Kealy said his role as an MLA is to fix existing problems in his riding of Peace River North, adding that his experience of seeing the Conservatives turn into a 'big tent party' has made him 'cautious' about joining another party. 'I have said that even before I joined the Conservative Party, that I am doing this for my region first and foremost, and I will not be whipped by a party.' Brodie said the door remains open for Kealy. Mark Marissen, a political strategist and former mayoral candidate in Vancouver, said on social media that the emergence of One BC is the birth of a 'new anti-First Nations political party.' When asked about Marissen's comments, Brodie said the effects of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act need to be discussed in open and her party is committed to repealing it. 'It's taking a lot of communities by surprise,' she said. Brodie, who represents Vancouver-Quilchena, said the legislature needs to be a place where 'there are no topics that are off limit.' She said few people want to discuss the law passed by the NDP government on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in an 'open' and 'transparent' manner. 'They (would) just rather call people names, and shut down the conversation, and that's not going to help B.C.,' she said. Armstrong is the MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream. Brodie has been criticized in the past for comments about First Nations. In February, she wrote on social media that the 'number of confirmed child burials at the former Kamloops Residential School site is zero.' Speaking at an election event in October 2024, Brodie said First Nations demanding autonomy must take responsibility for the problems of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. '(When) a large percentage of your people are on the Downtown Eastside, it's important that you come take responsibility for that piece as well,' she said. 'It's not OK to leave your people dying.' Brodie said she doesn't deny what has happened at residential schools. The New Democratic Party said in a statement that the One BC members are 'fixated on spreading anti-Indigenous racism, attacking the LGBTQ+ community (and) stoking western separatism.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Axios
8 hours ago
- Axios
Names to watch in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Mark Green
U.S. Rep. Mark Green's upcoming retirement will trigger a special election and open the flood gates for potential candidates. Why it matters: A U.S. House seat is one of the most desirable jobs in politics. Green's solidly Republican district, which stretches from Clarksville to Williamson County, has a slate of contenders. State of play: One challenger has already thrown his hat in the ring. Matt Van Epps, a former cabinet member for Gov. Bill Lee, immediately announced his candidacy. The intrigue: Nashville is now carved into three congressional districts, and none of its current representatives live in the city. Former Nashville mayoral finalist Alice Rolli tells Axios she's thinking about running. What we're hearing: In addition to Van Epps and Rolli, here are some of the names making the rounds as potential Republican challengers: State lawmakers Bill Powers, Gino Bulso and Jody Barrett and former state Rep. Brandon Ogles are possible candidates. The race could garner some entertainment industry star power if John Rich from the band Big & Rich runs. Conservative operatives Mark Moore, Chris Burger and Brian Clifford are also viewed as possible challengers. The other side: Democrats will be primed to run as well.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Row over Labour minister's small boat comments
A row has erupted after a senior minister said the majority of people crossing the English Channel in small boats he had seen were "children, babies and women". Treasury minister Darren Jones and Reform UK's Zia Yusuf clashed on the BBC's Question Time over the age and sex of people making the journey. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called on Jones to apologise for saying something that was not true. But the minister later said he had been referring to what he had seen on a recent visit to Border Security Command in Dover. He added: "Of course the overall majority of people arriving illegally on small boats are men - but not 'north of 90%' as Reform claimed." How many people cross the Channel in small boats? In the first three months of 2025, there were 6,420 small boat arrivals where the age and sex of the person was recorded, according to Home Office figures. Of these, 81% (5,183) were adult men. In the same period, of the 531 child arrivals (aged 17 and under), 427 of them were male and 104 female. There is no further age breakdown, so we don't know how many babies were amongst them. In the whole of 2024, 76% of small boat arrivals, where the sex and age are known, were adult male. In the Question Time exchange on Thursday, Jones said: "Let me tell you, when you're there on the site, seeing these dinghies put together by these organised criminal gangs, which are clearly not safe. "And when you see that the majority of the people in these boats are children, babies and women… you have got to take note." At this point in the debate, Jones was interrupted by Yusuf, who claimed more than 90% of those who cross the Channel in small boats are adult men. "That's not true," Jones said. Yusuf and BBC presenter Fiona Bruce asked Jones to clarify if he disputed the 90% figure. "I'm saying it's not true," Jones said. He then added: "When there are babies and children put into that position by human trafficking gangs who are coming across the Channel with skin burns from the oil in those boats, mixing with the salt sea water, I would ask any of you to look at those babies and children and say go back where you came from." He said the government could take a "humanitarian response" whilst tackling people-smuggling gangs without politicising the issue. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for Jones to apologise, saying: "We're not going to have any trust in the government or politicians if people can't believe what it is they are saying. "So I think Darren Jones should absolutely retract his remarks and apologise." Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argued what Jones had said was "simply not true". "Another clueless Labour minister," Farage posted on social media. Jones hit back in a post on X, saying: "Of course the overall majority of people arriving illegally on small boats are men - but not 'north of 90%' as Reform claimed. "On Question Time, I shared a story from my visit to the Border Security Command about a dinghy that arrived mostly carrying women, children and babies who had suffered horrific burns. "I'm happy to clarify this given how this is now being misrepresented". Additional reporting: Joshua Nevett
