Well it happened. Reform didn’t just make gains in Staffordshire they took over. Labour aren’t just struggling now, they’ve become the smallest of the main parties in town, with the only respite being their last borough election.
Let’s be clear this isn’t a story of Reform building a grassroots movement. It’s a story of Labour completely abandoning the field. They didn’t show up. They didn’t campaign. And now? Labour have paid the price.
Reform now hold all five county council seats in Tamworth. Labour? Nothing. Across the entire county, they managed one seat. One. For a party that run Tamworth Borough Council and celebrated Tamworth nationally just a year ago, that’s not a stumble…it’s a collapse.
And who’s left standing to challenge Reform? Not Labour. The Conservatives though bruised are now the only party with any real shot at taking Reform on. If you’re someone who doesn’t want Tamworth run on slogans and scapegoats, the Tories are the last hope standing a scary thought considering how much the National party has treated everyone including it’s members.
However all eyes should be on Trinity in the next few months. Martin Summers held it for the Conservatives in last year’s borough elections. It should now be Reform’s top target. If they flip Trinity, I don’t doubt it’ll be a full sweep for reform at the Borough. If the Conservatives hold it, there’s still a glimmer of resistance.
The warning signs were all there. Labour didn’t even bother to campaign this year. No canvassing, no presence, no message. Reform ran on “We’re not them,” and guess what? It worked.
Labour’s collapse isn’t just about votes it’s about credibility. People looked for leadership and found nothing. And that’s what allowed a party with no local record and no real platform to walk in and claim victory.
So here we are. Labour are out of the picture. Reform are calling the shots. It’s down to the Conservatives to decide if Tamworth gets pulled even further into the political wilderness or if someone’s going to finally start pushing back.
The next election starts now. All eyes on Trinity and Bolehall to see who will be the conservative candidate and if Labour even put a candidate up to just stop Reform from winning as we may be in a unique position of Labour splitting the Conservative vote. Conversely Labour may very well be in trouble in Bolehall, if Conservatives split the Labour vote. Because if Reform take either seat, there’ll be no turning back.
