Reform's London mayor candidate criticises Farage's mass deportation' election pitch

"Nigel Farage has been warned that Reform UK's extreme language on migration was responsible for the party not making the gains it had hoped for in London. Speaking to The Independent Laila Cunningham, Reform's candidate for London mayor, was critical of the way that talk of mass deportations played into the hands of her party's opponents in the capital. While Reform made sweeping gains across England with more than 1,400 council seat gains, were strong runners up in Wales and joint second with Labour in Scotland, expected gains in London largely failed to materialise."

"Ahead of the elections on Thursday, Mr Farage boasted that Reform had a very real chance of winning half a dozen of the 32 boroughs in London. But while the party took control of the Havering borough on the edge of Essex early on it then failed in other targets including Bexley, Barking and Dagenham, and Bromley. Meanwhile Waltham Forest went Green, Labour held on to Redbridge and Reform had very poor results in west, north and central London."

Reform UK made major gains across England, including more than 1,400 council seat increases, strong performances in Wales, and joint second place with Labour in Scotland. Expected gains in London did not materialize, with Reform failing to win several targeted boroughs such as Bexley, Barking and Dagenham, and Bromley. The party took control of Havering early but then struggled in other areas. Waltham Forest went Green, Labour retained Redbridge, and Reform performed poorly in west, north, and central London. Nigel Farage was warned that Reform’s extreme language on migration contributed to the party not achieving hoped-for results in London, and Reform’s London mayor candidate criticized mass deportation messaging for helping opponents in the capital.

Read at www.independent.co.uk