Why are Reform not fielding a candidate in Ketley?

Ketley goes to the polls tomorrow, to elect a councillor following the resignation of Jasmine Bennett from Ketley Parish Council.

Unlike much of the rest of the country, and indeed the county, Telford & Wrekin is not due a full council election until 2027. The borough is out of step due breaking away from Shropshire County Council and becoming a unitary council in its own right in 1998.

The elections in Shropshire taking place tomorrow have been a distraction for many Telford political party members or all persuasions, and for the newest of the lot, Reform UK, it’s put extra pressure on a new party with limited resources.

Richard Leppington of Reform in Telford told Telford Live that locally, the party has been “…totally absorbed with getting candidates and then fighting the Shropshire County Council elections.

“After the results on Friday I will be tied up with the outcome, i.e. will Reform be involved in the administration or in opposition . After this we will have a deep dive look at where we are and where we need to go forward.”

Will Reform be fielding candidates in Telford? It seems likely. There are a number of local parish & town council by-elections due in June, and Leppington says Reform will try to field candidates in those elections.