Lincolnshire Conservative and Reform UK leaders rule out county council election pact
Leading Lincolnshire figures for the Conservative Party and Reform UK have ruled out a coalition in the county between the two parties.
Both sides have made it clear they have no interest in working together, regardless of the outcome of the Lincolnshire County Council elections this Thursday (May 1).
The update follows comments from Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who declined to rule out a coalition deal at a local level during an interview on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips. She suggested some councils might be under no overall control, in which case "you have to do what is right for your local area".
However, she categorically ruled out any pact with Nigel Farage's party on a national level, adding: "I am not going into any coalition with Nigel Farage... read my lips."
When asked if a coalition was on the table, Councillor Martin Hill, leader of the Conservative-controlled county council, said he was "not intending to work with idiots".
Sean Matthews, Chair of the Louth and Horncastle Reform UK branch and candidate for Tattershall Castle division, said the party was aiming for a majority and not contemplating a pact.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "That's not something I would be looking at doing at the moment. I'm not seeing that as an option."
In December, Annunziata Rees-Mogg, head of communications for Popular Conservatism, acknowledged that Reform UK poses a serious threat to the Conservatives and urged the two sides to find a way to work together.
Speaking at a Christmas coffee morning at The Vine Hotel and Restaurant in Skegness, Ms Rees-Mogg – sister of former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg – said: "As a united force, with many similar priorities, there are many things about Reform I completely disagree with – and I’m sure they will say the exact same about me and my priorities – but, for the good of the country, I think they will need to find a way to work together against socialism, which they both oppose."
