
Reform UK wins three seats in Harlow and Thurrock by-elections
Reform candidate Paul Jago won the seat in the Mark Hall ward in Harlow by polling 81 more votes than the Conservatives.The by-election took place after the Labour councillor quit.In the Ockendon ward in Thurrock, Alan Benson and Russel Cherry picked up the seats for Reform - meaning the party now has three seats on the council.Benson and Cherry secured more than 1,000 votes each - more than double that of their closest rival, Tory Sue Johnson who picked up 533.A decade ago, Farage's former party UKIP won seats in Ockendon.
Chelmsford's Liberal Democrat MP Marie Goldman vacated her position on Essex County Council and Chelmsford City Council to focus on her job in Westminster.Her seat on the county council for Chelmsford Central was won by Lib Dem David Loxton by 1,074 votes.Essex County Council, which comprises of 75 councillors, is controlled by the Tories.She stepped back from her Moulsham and Central seat on the city council - as did Lib Dem Graham Pooley due to ill health.Helen Ayres and Seán Manley won those two seats for the party.They secured more than 1,000 votes each, more than double that of their closest rival, Reform's Darren Brooke who got 572.
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Daily Record
44 minutes ago
- Daily Record
John Swinney accused of joining 'smear campaign' against Kneecap over TRNSMT axing, emails show
The First Minister was accused of supporting an "act of censorship" after the controversial rap group were dropped from Scotland's biggest music festival. John Swinney faced a furious backlash after he publicly supported Kneecap being axed from the TRNSMT line-up earlier this year, newly published emails have revealed. The First Minister claimed in April the controversial Belfast rap group had "crossed a line" after footage emerged of a band member saying: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP." Kneecap later apologised to the families of murdered MPs David Amess and Jo Cox - but the group were still dropped from the TRSNMT line-up after Police Scotland raised concerns with event promoters DFC. The decision prompted several members of the public to email Swinney's office to take issue with the First Minister after he told the BBC it would be "unacceptable" for Kneecap to perform at the festival "given the fact their comments are so beyond the pale". One email sent the following week claimed the SNP leader had joined an organised a "smear campaign" against the rap group. The sender, whose name is redacted, said: "I'm writing this to express my disappointment at your decision to join the smear campaign against Kneecap, clearly grounded in efforts to discredit them for their support for the besieged people of Palestine." It added: "Your public denouncement of the band, and call for them to be removed from the TRNSMT line up, is misguided censorship". In a response to the complaint, an unnamed civil servant said: "At the time the First Minister said the reported comments from Kneecap regarding MPs were utterly unacceptable and the group has since apologised. Any decisions by the event organisers have, throughout this issue, remained wholly outwith the locus of the Scottish Government." In another email to Swinney, a complainer wrote: "Kneecap is known for engaging with themes of identity, politics, and language in a provocative but artistically valid way. Their removal from a major Scottish music festival feels like an act of censorship — one that undermines Scotland's commitment to artistic freedom, cultural inclusion, and open discourse." Another complaint to the First Minister said: "I understand you were very vocal in getting this band banned from playing at Scotland's top festival due to actions from before the band became well known. "A lot of people have purchased tickets, flights, hotels etc to come over to see this band but you and Police Scotland have now left a lot of people out of pocket. Since when was free speech not allowed in this country?" The correspondence, revealed in a Freedom of Information request, also details how Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton emailed Kaukab Stewart, Minister for Equalities, in May on behalf of a constituent who was "horrified" at the band's scheduled appearance. In a response to Hamilton, Angus Robertson, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture said: "It is the responsibility of the relevant council as the licensing authority for the area to oversee events of this nature, including ensuring compliance by the organisers with the appropriate public safety regulations." Kneecap later played a sold-out at the Glasgow Academy in July days before the TRNSMT festival took place. Liam Ó hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, asked the crowd "What's your first minister's name?" before directing an expletive at Swinney. He added: "They stopped us playing TRNSMT but they can't stop us playing Glasgow." Swinney later played down his beef with Kneecap after the First Minister was called out by the Irish rappers. He said last month: "I think the most important thing at this moment is that we all focus on the issue that Kneecap are concerned about, which is the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. I want to see a ceasefire implemented, I want to see humanitarian aid put into Gaza."


Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Nigel Farage makes 'British flag mistake' on Reform football shirt - 'embarrassing'
Reform UK boss Nigel Farage has been branded a 'fake patriot' after unveiling Reform UK football shirts with a modified British flag - despite slating England and Team GB for doing the same thing "Fake patriot" Nigel Farage has been accused of hypocrisy after flogging football shirts with a modified British flag - despite slating England and Team GB for doing the same thing. The Reform leader branded it an "absolute joke" last year when the England team's jerseys included a multicoloured version of the St George's flag. And he also lashed out at Team GB merchandise - saying he was "dead against" changes to the Union Jack. But at the weekend he unveiled a range of Reform-branded footie kits that featured a pale blue and white version of the British flag., without a dash of red to be seen. Labour MP Mike Tapp told The Mirror: " Nigel Farage is a fake patriot, so it is quite fitting that he is wrapping himself in a fake British flag. He was kicking off about changes to the England flag - clearly another example of shallow opportunism. What an embarrassing state of affairs - I'd suggest they spend more time coming up with policy, less time creating weird football shirts." It comes as Nigel Farage is under pressure to distance himself from 'racist' Ant Middleton rant. Mr Farage waded into a major row last year when the Three Lions shirts were released ahead of last year's European Championships, featuring a blue and purple horizontal stripe. He fumed at the time: "That's it, it's a multicoloured cross, it bears no relationship to the St George's Cross whatsoever. If the England football team think that's acceptable well why on earth would you be apologetic about Englishness if you're going to play for England in the European football finals. I think it's an absolute joke." He also voiced his displeasure at rebranded Team GB merchandise, which saw patterns and different colours added to the British flag. Mr Farage moaned on GB News: "I have to say I think this is really all quite deliberate, an attempt that goes right through much of civil society, right through much of our education system. "They want us to basically be ashamed of who we are as people, not proud. I am dead against it." Reform launched the sky blue football shirts on Sunday morning, offering them for £39.99. Alternatively the real enthusiasts can pay £99.99 for a jersey signed by Mr Farage. Images shared on social media show the Reform boss posing with a number of shirts with 'Farage 10' on the back. He wrote on Sunday morning: "Reform HQ tells me nearly 1,000 shirts were sold in the first hour." When the football shirt controversy broke out, former Tory PM Rishi Sunak said sporting firms "shouldn't mess" with national flags. A No10 spokesman said at the time: 'They are a source of pride, identity, who we are and he thinks they are perfect as they are." And Keir Starmer urged Nike - who made the Three Lions shirt - to "reconsider" the design. In a statement Nike said: "We have been a proud partner of the FA since 2012 and understand the significance and importance of the St George's Cross and it was never our intention to offend, given what it means to England fans." In 2021, when England players took the knee to protest against racism, Mr Farage posted: "Let's keep politics out of football this summer." The Mirror has contacted Reform UK asking what has changed.


ITV News
2 hours ago
- ITV News
Senedd 2026: All the defections to Reform UK ahead of Welsh Parliament election
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has made no secret of his plans to win as many seats as possible in the 2026 Senedd Election. Support for the party in Wales has surged, with a recent ITV Cymru Wales poll showing the party would take 25% of the vote share. As of July 2025, Reform UK remains without a leader in Wales - but announced a shock first defection from a sitting Senedd Member, Laura Anne Jones, at the Royal Welsh Show. And as the clock ticks down to polling day, the number of councillors and politicians in the country announcing their allegiance to Nigel Farage's party is rising. Here's a list of all the defections to Reform UK so far. February Stuart Keyte was Wales' first elected Reform UK councillor in February this year. He won the Trevethin and Penygarn seat on Labour-dominated Torfaen council. He joined Wales' first Reform UK Council group, after three Independent councillors in Torfaen joined the party last year - David Thomas, Jason O'Connell, and Alan Slade. March In March, four councillors from Powys joined the party. Cllr Geoff Morgan, Ithon Valley Ward, Cllr Claire Jonson-Wood, Llanyre with Nantmel Ward, who were both formerly Independent councillors, joined the party. Cllr Iain McIntosh, Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew ward and Cllr Karl Lewis, Llandinam with Dolfor Ward, both formerly Conservative, also joined Reform UK. May Owain Clatworthy won a seat on a second Welsh council following a by-election in May for the Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr ward in Bridgend. June On a visit to Port Talbot, Nigel Farage called for the blast furnaces at the town's steelworks to reopen. During his speech, the party leader announced two Independent councillors for Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council were defecting to Reform - Andrew Barry and David Hughes. July Former Conservative MP for Clwyd West and Welsh Secretary, David Jones, announced he had joined Reform UK as "a private individual" with "no intention of seeking elected office". Laura Anne Jones became the first sitting Member of the Senedd to defect to Reform, leaving the Welsh Conservative group. Cllr Thomas Montgomery and Cllr Louise Emery, both councillors in Conwy, announced their resignation from the Conservative Party to join Reform UK. It takes the number of Reform councillors in Wales to 13.