Voters sick of main parties, says Reform candidate

Chris Eynon said Reform UK's popularity was soaring in north-east England

Reform UK has said voters in north-east England were fed up with the main parties and were turning to it instead.

Chris Eynon, Reform's candidate for Sunderland Central, told BBC Politics North that the party's membership in the region was “soaring”.

He added Reform planned to stand a candidate in every seat in the North East and Cumbria at the general election.

But candidates from the three main parties said they did not believe voters would turn to Reform over them.

Mr Eynon said: "People are sick of the main two parties and our whole pitch is a complete change and overhaul.

"Our membership is soaring in the North East and we are contesting every level of government, from councils, to MPs, to the North East regional mayor."

Candidates from the main political parties, Julia Aglionby, Luke Myer and Matty Jackman, told BBC Politics North they did not think voters would turn to Reform

Former Conservative party deputy chairman Lee Anderson defected to Reform last week, becoming the party's first MP.

Despite this, Conservative candidate in Westmorland and Lonsdale, Matty Jackman, said he did not believe Reform was a threat to the Conservatives.

He said: "I’m very happy to say that having lived in the Lakes for 20 years...and [having] had the privilege to knock on doors and meet people - in all that time Reform has not been mentioned once. Not mentioned once.

"And that proves one thing to me - that the constituents of Westmorland and Lonsdale and across Cumbria know that there is a very simple choice come the election: that is to have Conservative MPs fighting on local issues or to vote for anyone else which will pave the way for a Keir Starmer government."

Labour's Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland candidate, Luke Myer, however, said that Reform's increase in popularity was a result of "14 years of Conservative broken promises".

He said: "It's about trust in democracy and we've seen last week with Lee Anderson joining Reform, that it's the level of chaos in the Conservative party that is driving that.

"They've been in power for 14 years, they've had five prime ministers, and they have absolutely nothing to show for it.

"Whether it's on the NHS, the economy or immigration, people are ready for change and at the election Labour will be that change."

Liberal Democrat candidate for the new Penrith and Solway seat, Julia Aglionby, said Reform stood for the opposite of what the Lib Dems represented.

She said: "Many of our values, many of our views, are absolutely contrary to what Reform stands for.

"We are looking internationally, we're looking liberally and we're looking at values that are accountable. We are the complete opposite of Lee Anderson."