Reform UK and Tories win council by-election

Reform UK and the Conservative Party have picked up more seats on North Northamptonshire Council after a by-election.

It was called in the Higham Ferrers ward after Liberal Democrat candidate John Ratcliffe died prior to last month's elections, which saw Reform UK take overall control of the authority.

Voters went to the polls for the rearranged election on Thursday, and the results saw Reform UK's Mark Haddon newly elected, while Conservative councillor Jennie Bone retained her seat.

The turnout was 31.1%, just below the 31.6% average for the wider North Northamptonshire Council vote.

Haddon earned the most votes in the ward with 656, and the 76-year-old told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he was "apprehensive, excited and a little bit shell-shocked" after his win.

Haddon, who went to school and was married in Higham Ferrers, said it would be his first venture into politics.

"I considered initially that I'm too old to start a new career, shall we say," he said

"It was something I didn't really think I was going to do, but I'd like to think that we can get council finances under control.

"A lot of what I got on the doorstep was 'We will vote for you so long as you're not Labour or Conservative.'"

Bone was elected with 559 votes, just three more than the next Reform UK candidate - Elisa Perna - in third.

The results will not materially change the make-up of North Northamptonshire Council, with Reform UK sitting on a comfortable majority from the earlier elections.

There are now 40 Reform UK, 14 Conservatives, eight Greens, four Labour and one Liberal Democrat and Independent councillor on the authority.

The Tories had formerly led both North and West Northamptonshire Councils since their inception in 2021.

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