The new Green councillor says people were "unimpressed with some of the things that Reform has done"
In a major blow to Reform UK, the Greens snatched a seat off Nigel Farage’s party in a Derbyshire County Council by-election yesterday.
The Greens’ Lian Pizzey defeated Reform’s Juliette Stevens in Horsley ward, winning 1,341 votes to 1,091. The Greens made big gains compared to last May, boosting their vote share by nearly 18 points, from 27% to 45%.
The contest was triggered by former Reform councillor Richard Morgan standing down from his position in November for health reasons.
Pizzey told the BBC that people on the doorstep had said they were “unimpressed with some of the things that Reform has done” on the county council.
“They’ve mentioned care homes, they’ve mentioned the fact that council taxes can be going up by the maximum amount and wanted… a local representative, who would actually go to Matlock and hold the Reform council to account.”
Days before Christmas, the Reform-run council announced that they would close eight care homes after a potential sale fell through.
Celebrating the result on X, Green Party leader Zack Polanski, wrote: “Reform losing. Green Party gaining. Country winning.”
Earlier this month, six former Reform town councillors in Derbyshire joined Ben Habib’s far-right party Advance UK after a disagreement with Farage.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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