Reform UK begins North East Lincolnshire election push ahead of May vote

Reform UK has formally launched its local election campaign in North East Lincolnshire, setting out its pitch to voters before residents go to the polls next month. The campaign was launched outside Grimsby Town Hall, placing the focus firmly on one of Lincolnshire's most closely watched sets of local contests. On 7 May, voters in North East Lincolnshire will elect 15 councillors, with one seat contested in each ward.

Reform UK says it is standing a candidate in every ward. For readers across Lincolnshire, the contest is notable not only because of the party's growing profile nationally, but because it is now seeking to make a fuller breakthrough in a part of the county where local services, council tax and political change are likely to be central issues for voters. Deputy leader Richard Tice used the launch to argue that Reform councillors would focus on keeping bills down while maintaining services.

He said the party was better at saving money, renegotiating contracts and delivering value for residents. Those claims come as council tax remains a live issue for households across Lincolnshire, where many families continue to feel pressure from day-to-day costs. Tice pointed to figures on councils led by Reform UK elsewhere in England, saying they had seen the lowest average council tax rise.

According to Full Fact analysis cited in the source report, councils run by Reform UK recorded the lowest average annual council tax increase at 4.33% when compared with other parties controlling upper-tier authorities. However, the picture was not uniform, with rises in Reform-led areas ranging from 1.99% in Durham to 8.98% in Worcestershire. While Reform UK has not previously stood in North East Lincolnshire council elections, it already has a presence on the authority through councillor Oliver Freeston, who defected from the Conservative Party two years ago.

Freeston said a group of elected Reform councillors would bring what he described as a positive approach to the authority. He also said many of the party's candidates had not been involved in politics before and were stepping forward because they wanted change. He described Reform's local team as ordinary people from a range of backgrounds and ages, and rejected criticism of the party's characterisation by opponents.

Tice, meanwhile, said those standing for Reform believed in the party's values and policies. For North East Lincolnshire, the launch marks the start of what is likely to be a closely followed campaign in the run-up to polling day. For Lincolnshire more widely, it offers another sign of how local elections in communities such as Grimsby and Cleethorpes can reflect wider political currents, while still turning on practical questions of representation, services and the cost of local government.

This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.