Reform UK is close to securing a majority on Lincolnshire County Council, following a “clean sweep” of all the seats across East Lindsey.
Candidates from Nigel Farage’s party are celebrating a huge win along the east coast after taking all 13 seats in East Lindsey divisions.
Before the elections on May 1, the district was represented by 12 Conservatives and one Independent. Independent councillor Sarah Parkin, who represented Louth South, chose not to seek re-election this year.
Among the defeated Conservatives were Patricia Bradwell, deputy leader of the county council; Colin Davie, portfolio holder for environment, economic development and planning; Wendy Bowkett, portfolio holder for adult care and public health; and Daniel McNally, portfolio holder for waste and trading standards.
Sean Matthews, chair of the Louth and Horncastle Reform UK branch and now councillor for Tattershall Castle, said the Conservatives are going to be “absolutely beside themselves tonight.” He said his party is on the “knife edge” of securing a majority—already claiming 30 seats before counting even begins in West Lindsey, South Kesteven and North Kesteven.
“I just can’t get over the fact that we’ve had a clean sweep of all the East Lindsey seats,” he said.
“I’ll be honest, they [the Conservatives] were fair and they were coming up to us early on and saying what they thought was going to happen. But they were saying, ‘the hard work starts now. You need to find jobs for everybody’.
“Out of us here, there really are no experienced councillors, and so we’re going to rely on the county council to get us up to speed as quickly as possible. I just can’t wait to get started on the real work, which is bringing Lincolnshire back into fiscally sound policies and trying to make it a better place for all the people that live here.”
Coun Matthews has already shown an interest in becoming the leader of the Lincolnshire Reform UK group, and potentially the next leader of the council – but noted that a few other candidates are also interested.
“We’ll have a vote and make a decision in the next few days, and hopefully I’ll be speaking to you in a very different capacity soon,” he said.
New county councillors for East Lindsey:
- Alford & Sutton – Mike Beecham (Reform UK), 1,527 votes
- Horncastle & the Keals – Phillip Roberts (Reform UK), 1,407
- Ingoldmells Rural – Danny Brookes (Reform UK), 1,704 votes
- Louth North – Nick Hastings (Reform UK), 1,070 votes
- Louth South – Thomas Catton (Reform UK), 932 votes
- Louth Wolds – Alex McGonigle (Reform UK), 1,461 votes
- Mablethorpe – Ruben Robinson (Reform UK), 1,543 votes
- Salfeet & the Cotes – Bayleigh Robinson (Reform UK), 1,453 votes
- Skegness North – Adrian Findley (Reform UK), 1,502 votes
- Skegness South – Jimmy Brookes (Reform UK), 1,493 votes
- Tattershall Castle – Sean Matthews (Reform UK), 1,472 votes
- Wainfleet – Maria Hume (Reform UK), 1,695 votes
- Woodhall Spa & Wragby – Natalie Oliver (Reform UK), 1,565 votes
Mayoral votes in East Lindsey:
- Sally Anne Horscroft (Green Party) – 2,143
- Andrea Marie Jenkyns (Reform UK) – 19,875
- Marianne Jane Overton (Lincolnshire Independents) – 2,540
- Jason Stockwood (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 3,299
- Rob Waltham (Local Conservatives) – 9,397
- Trevor Young (Liberal Democrats) – 1,601
