A Barnsley Green Party candidate has predicted a good result for Reform in next week’s elections, but said the Greens are continuing to target small gains in parts of the town.
The Greens are currently predicted to win one seat in Darton West, which the party has said would be “a massive success.”
Trevor Mayne, candidate for Darton West and co-chair of Barnsley Greens, said: “If we get one, two or three councillors elected in the ward, then we’ll be thinking across Barnsley when we do that.
“We’ve been coming second to Labour for several of the past elections in Darton, and with the fall off of the Labour vote since they’ve been in government, we’ve got a real chance of getting in.”
He also said the party’s ethos is “the antidote to Reform in that respect of just spreading the message of hate all over the place.”
According to Pollcheck, Reform are currently predicted to win a majority on the council. Party leader Nigel Farage has said they have “every chance” to take Barnsley on 7 May.
Mr Mayne called Reform’s rise a “short term knee-jerk reaction,” yet believes they have a good chance of being successful.
He said: “People know that there’s a good chance that Reform will end up holding power in the council, and everybody, except the people currently saying they’re going to vote Reform, is worried about that.
“They will probably take Barnsley, so we need to be afraid.”
Barnsley Council faces a potential major overhaul as all 63 seats will be up for grabs. The town has been a Labour stronghold for 50 years.
Mr Mayne says the Greens are aiming to give a “consistent message” on how they’ll tackle issues such as road safety, antisocial behaviour and SEND provision.
In comparison, Reform’s campaign has been largely focused on nationwide policies such as immigration, which has raised concerns about how the party would tackle local issues.
Mr Mayne believes the support for Reform is a “protest vote,” as “people are feeling that Labour is old and tired and have not got enough answers.”
“They want to give somebody a kicking, and Farage offers that chance to give not just the Tories but Labour a bloody nose.”