Populist right anti-immigration ReformUK poised to win Labour safe seat | Eastern NC Now

The UK's new Labour Party government is faced with its first by-election (special election) for a parliament seat. The special election was caused by the resignation of the incumbent Labour member of parliament after he was convicted of assaulting a constituent.  The parliament constituency of Runcom and Helsby is considered one of Labour's safest seats where its candidate won by 35 points in last year's general election.

Labour's problem is that the first poll for the by-election shows the populist nationalist anti-immigration ReformUK Party, led by Brexit hero Nigel Farage leading and on track to take the seat away from them.    ReformUK winning a Labour safe seat in a by-election would be an earthquake in British politics.

Reform's message is to close the migrant hotels and deport the illegal aliens.  Labour's candidate as a local government leader has been a vocal supporter of "welcoming" the migrants and providing them furnished apartments.  Now she is trying to reinvent herself by putting up an online petition to close a migrant hotel within the consituency.  Reform is blasting her for talking out of both sides of her mouth.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2029705/reform-runcorn-and-helsby-by-election

The UK will finally hold local elections in one third of its local jurisdiction in May, after Labout delayed them trying to fend off ReformUK.  Polls for that election show ReformUK in the lead at 36% followed by Labour at 30% with the Conservatives third.  Farage recently held a press conference to announce that 29 local elected officials from other parties, mostly Conservatives, had defected to Reform  and would run for reelectoin on their ticket.

Illegal immigration is a leading issue, with ReformUK saying they are the only party voters can trust on that issue, pointing to Labour's  open borders policies and the failure of the last Conservative government to do much about the problem.  Growing disenchantment with the NetZero climate policy https://www.rcpatelpolytechnic.org/ championed by Labour and its cost to average people is also a major issue.  The Conservatives recently in a major policy announdement said NetZero was impracitcal and would bankrupt the UK so they were now opposed to it going forward.  ReformUK shot back that it was the Conservatives who had first made it government policy while Reform has always opposed it, calling it "Net Stupid".

https://conservativehome.com/2025/03/18/kemi-badenochs-policy-renewal-speech-no-more-net-zero-by-2050-it-is-impossible-without-bankrupting-britain/