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Farage Rejects Call for Coalitions with Tories

Nigel Farage has rejected the idea proposed by Kemi Badenoch suggesting that Reform UK might consider forming coalitions with Conservative councillors following the local elections next month.

During a recent interview, Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, indicated that local leaders could have the flexibility to collaborate with Reform UK if it was necessary to ensure the effective governance of councils. However, Farage quickly countered that Reform UK has “no intention in forming coalitions with the Tories at any level,” emphasizing a clear stance against formal alliances.

Conversely, Farage did acknowledge the possibility of more informal cooperation, expressing that he sees potential for “working relationships” with other political entities. This approach aligns with a broader trend where various political parties share power within local councils, a practice that has grown as the number of councils dominated by a single party has declined in recent years.

Currently, Reform UK holds around 100 council seats, primarily due to defections from other parties. The party is strategically targeting a significant number of council seats in the upcoming elections, aiming to strengthen its presence in predominantly rural and suburban areas in England on 1 May.

While last year they only contested 12% of available council seats, this election cycle will see them compete for nearly all of the 1,600 council positions up for re-election. Farage has stated that his goal is to secure hundreds of seats to elevate the party’s chances in future national elections by establishing a more substantial presence in local government.

Badenoch has dismissed the idea of a national electoral alliance with Reform, insisting that Farage’s ambitions could disrupt the Conservative Party’s stability. However, she has faced pressure to clarify whether local Conservative councillors would be permitted to make deals with Reform to govern effectively at the local level.

Local Governance Choices

When questioned about her position on local partnerships, Badenoch emphasized that Conservative councillors would need to determine what arrangements are best suited for their councils after the upcoming elections. She highlighted that Conservative leaders are already engaged in “various coalitions” with other parties, including Labour and the Liberal Democrats, as well as independents, stating, “Local leaders need to decide what to do to run their councils.”

Though she did not elaborate on whether her remarks pertained specifically to formal coalitions or also included more informal agreements on collaboration, Farage reiterated his opposition to forming coalitions with the Conservatives, arguing that they have “broke Britain nationally for 14 years.”

Collaborative Efforts

Despite his reservations about formal coalitions, the Reform UK leader did not entirely dismiss the notion of informal arrangements with other parties. In an interview with BBC East Midlands, he mentioned the party’s duty “to work with the most pragmatic and sensible people to get things done.” Farage suggested that there could be opportunities to engage with groups of independents in local governance.

When pressed about the potential for formal coalitions, he clarified that there would be “no formal coalitions with anybody,” but acknowledged the need for developing “working relationships.” He asserted, “We’ll maintain our independence, but of course, in the interests of local people we’ll do deals.”

National parties typically have varying degrees of oversight regarding local councillors’ agreements to govern collaboratively. For instance, Labour councillors must secure consent from their National Executive Committee before entering into any local agreements, while the Green Party permits its local groups to make independent decisions about power-sharing.

The BBC has sought clarification from Reform UK and the Conservatives regarding their procedures for authorizing power-sharing agreements following the local elections. The Liberal Democrats, who have been involved in coalition governance across various councils, have also been reached out to for their perspective.

Source
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