Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has rowed back on suggestions of electoral pacts with Reform UK, telling the Sun that her party will not do deals with Nigel Farage's party because Reform councillors are 'not serious'. The comments come as millions of voters across England, Wales and Scotland cast their ballots in local and devolved elections.
In an interview published on Thursday, Badenoch said: 'We're not doing deals with Reform. I don't want to see us helping Reform.' This marks a reversal from her remarks to Sky News the previous day, where she indicated she would be happy to see Conservative and Reform councillors working together on right-wing policies.
The elections include six county councils in England, all delayed from 2021, as well as the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd. Commentators predict heavy losses for the Conservatives, with Reform UK expected to gain seats in Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, potentially replacing the Tories as the main opposition in those areas.
For the first time, the Council of Europe is monitoring the Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections, alongside the English council polls. A 17-strong delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has been visiting polling stations across Britain to observe voting procedures. Delegates from Moldova, Switzerland, Poland, Albania, Ireland and Germany are among those taking part.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to reassure civil servants after the sacking of Olly Robbins, emphasising the value of 'speaking truth to power'. In an email to all civil servants, Starmer said recent events should not define the civil service and that he wants a culture where information flows freely and risks are flagged early.
