Overview
- Reform UK plans to spend about £5m over the next four months, drawing on Christopher Harborne’s £9m donation to finance mass mailings and digital ads.
- The party says it has already sent more than five million leaflets, including to outer London and every household in Scotland and Wales, with messaging on law and order, the cost of living and migration.
- The government will examine requests from 63 local authorities to delay their votes due to reorganisation plans, potentially narrowing the contests available in May.
- Voters are due to elect 5,036 council seats across 136 English authorities on 7 May, alongside elections to the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd.
- Analysts report Reform translating by‑election gains into strong national polling, while Labour strategist Sir Chris Powell calls for a fundamental reset as Farage insists school‑era allegations are having “zero effect.”