Nigel Farage has ramped up his efforts to expand Reform UK’s influence ahead of the 2025 council elections by setting a major deadline.
The Reform UK leader sent a letter to 1,352 Tory councillors standing for re-election, inviting them to defect to his party by November 6.
In his letter, Farage told the councillors: “I’m writing to invite you to join our movement.
“Since July, we’ve been assembling a national election winning machine at historic speed with hundreds of branches already established and over 90,000 active members ready to campaign.”
He added that by the time of next May’s elections, the party’s “ground campaign capabilities will be formidable.”
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Farage’s deadline comes as Reform UK is making big strides in council by-elections.
The party is fielding candidates in 67% of available seats in by-elections due to take place over the next four weeks.
This figure is up from 33% in the General Election earlier this year.
Farage’s letter also stressed that the “Tory brand is broken” and that Reform UK stands ready to uphold values the Tories “once stood for.”
Farage has already had some success with his appeal, with five councillors – including Conservatives in Essex and Aberdeenshire – switching to Reform UK.
However, others were quick to reject his advances. One Conservative councillor, Carl Jackson from Chalfont St Giles, dismissed Farage’s invitation, telling the Free Press: “I was surprised to receive the email from Nigel Farage inviting me to defect to Reform.”
Jackson added: “Since the General Election, the Conservatives have won more than 30 council by-elections all over the country.
“I would have thought Reform members would be trying to join the Conservatives rather than begging Conservative councillors to defect to them.”
In a video posted on X, Farage also described the upcoming elections as “the first big national campaign from Reform UK,” pledging to “throw the kitchen sink” into winning over voters.
He claimed that a “huge number” of sitting Conservative councillors agree with Reform UK’s principles and said that “the vast majority” of Tory councillors could lose their seats if they continue with the Conservative Party.
