15 Jan 2021
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said that it would be “outrageous” to cancel local and regional elections in May, saying the democratic process cannot be suspended because of the Chinese coronavirus.
Local elections across Great Britain are due to take place in May, and while a government minister said that it would take a “high bar” of conditions to suspend them, the position would remain “under review”.
“Safe and secure elections are the cornerstone of any democracy and parliament’s decision, as set out in primary legislation, is that these polls should go ahead in May,” said Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith on Wednesday, according to Sky News.
| UPDATED: 10:48, Thu, Jan 14, 2021
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Nigel Farage said he feared that economically and socially the latest coronavirus restrictions were doing greater harm than the Government realise. He said he was not actually convinced that lockdowns worked, adding that he was pretty fearful of the consequences the public health measures could have. The former UKIP leader added that while he does not underestimate the seriousness of the virus he believed the country must find some way of life continuing.
NIGEL Farage’s new party poses most risk to the Scottish Tories at this year’s Holyrood elections, according to the UK’s leading pollster. Professor Sir John Curtice said Reform UK Scotland would be targetting the same pro-Brexit supporters as the Conservatives which could lose votes to it. He said that while around a third of SNP voters backed leaving the European Union in 2016, he thought Nicola Sturgeon’s party would not see its electoral performance damaged by the new party as “the British nationalism” message it advanced would not appeal to Yes supporters. Speaking to The National, Curtice was also asked if the Tories lost some votes to Reform UK Scotland, could Labour return to become the main opposition.