Reform leader in Northumberland claims Labour and Tories have ‘eroded trust’ amid surge in polls

It comes after a new poll revealed Reform would win the most parliamentary seats if a General Election were held today.

In the North East alone, Reform would take 13 seats while Labour would win just six. In the local elections at the start of May, Reform made significant gains in both Durham and Northumberland at the expense of Labour.

Coun Mark Peart, who leads the Reform group in Northumberland and stood for parliament in 2019 and 2024, was cautiously optimistic – but was keen to stress that it would likely still be four years before the country goes to the polls again.

He said: “The polls are looking rather good at the moment, but it’s still too early. Twenty-four hours is a long time in politics, but it’s very positive at the moment.

“It is the trend I have been seeing since 2022. We’ve been going on and up and up and up and I’ve seen a good response on the doorsteps – there has been a massive change.

“People in the North East are fed up with net zero and immigration. They believe in our policies.

“Trust has been eroded by previous Labour and Conservative Governments. If you have a 30-year-old now, there’s no well-paid jobs, they can’t get on the property ladder – they’re totally disillusioned with the ‘uni-party’.

“The Government has failed them, people have lost faith. We will see what we can do.”

The poll, carried out by YouGov, based seat projections on modelled responses from 11,500 voters in Great Britain. Overall, Reform would increase its seats from five to 271 (an increase of 266), while Labour would lose 233 seats (178 vs last year’s 411).

YouGov said that a hung parliament is “by far the most likely outcome” according to its data and models.

Northumberland Labour leader Coun Scott Dickinson, who has previously described the local election result as a “protest vote”, felt recent events including a u-turn on winter fuel and a likely climbdown on welfare reform showed the Government was listening to the electorate.

He said: “It’s unfortunate for me that the majority of changes have happened since the local elections, but I’m pleased they’re happening nonetheless. With welfare, it is a consultation and we should take comfort with the fact that the Government is willing to change course.

“I think, from my point of view, people are starting to see the lack of quality from Reform following the local elections. I think the direction of travel will change in the coming months.”

However, it is not just Labour that will be viewing the poll with concern. The results would put the Tories on just 46 seats, behind the Liberal Democrats on 81.

Despite this, the deputy leader of Northumberland County Council Richard Wearmouth was confident that Reform leader Nigel Farage would lose popularity before the ballot boxes are counted.

He said: “It’s a long four years to the general election and, as always happens, Farage is going to get found out. He pedals a set of easy answers to difficult questions, but it’s all nonsense from a man desperate for attention and self promotion.”