Walking into the Blue Peter pub in Derby, it seems an unlikely location for Britain’s newest political stronghold.
Despite the chain’s soulless brand, traces of its former brutal and alcoholic reputation remain. Yet this Art Deco public house, built nine decades ago, is literally at the center of a curious political history.
The Blue Peter itself is in the Alvaston North district, but walk across the road and you’ll be in Alvaston South, putting you right in the middle of Reform UK’s spiritual headquarters.
Richard Tice’s right-wing insurgent partyformerly led by Nigel Farage, it dominated last week’s local elections in these two adjacent boroughs, home to some 30,000 people, eight schools, a velodrome and Derby County FC.
And while Reform councilors were not elected anywhere else in the country.he won the six available seats in Alvaston with more than half the vote.
‘None of them do anything’
Those who enjoyed a lunchtime barbecue at the Blue Peter were generally frustrated by the national political landscape, stating that “none of them do anything anyway”.
Ricky Worsley, 42, lives and works in Alvaston. He is apathetic towards national politics, but backed Reform because of his superstar local councilor Alan Graves, who runs the Reform Derby.
“He’s a really good guy, and the only one who has time for you. I wouldn’t vote for reform if it wasn’t for him,” Worsley said.
Former Labor councilor Mr Graves is seen as a ‘pillar of the community’ and unlike many other representatives actually has a reputation for getting things done.
Locals said it gives them a voice on issues including dog messing up, repairing park benches, installing CCTV and blocking unwanted housing developments.
High praise to Alan Graves
Nick Neocleous, 49, runs Steve’s Fish and Chips shop on the main street in Alvaston. His reluctance to discuss politics led to high praise for Graves, a well-known patron. He not only voted for Reform last week, but he insisted that he will support them at the national level.
Julie, 61, walking her dog Ollie, disagreed with all of Reform’s policies, including a promise to achieve ‘net zero’ immigration, but she voted for them and would again thanks to Graves.
“I don’t necessarily agree with all the policies,” he said. “But if you contact Alan about anything, he will contact you and actively take action.”
Graves attributed Reform’s success in Derby to voters wanting a “tender relationship” with representatives.
He said: “We are not politicians, we are ordinary people in politics. We have a diverse background, from business people to electricians. We are real people.
“We have created a foundation for the future in Derby and with a large dose of good will and hard work we can turn that into an excellent domestic result for Reform.”
Despite the great labor push
Reform’s vote share rose by 12 per cent in target areas in Derby despite a big Labor push that saw Sir Keir Starmer visit the town. This support dashed Labor’s hopes of a majority on the city council, which is not under general control.
Professor Sir John Curtice, an elections guru, said Reform “did as well as could be expected” in local elections, stressing “very strongly” local links in Derby.
“Looking at the balance of support for the parties, they seem to have been won by Labor rather than the Conservatives,” he said.
Brett Theaker, 76, a retired engineer from the local Rolls-Royce nuclear factory, believed that the culture of awakening is pushing people towards reform in working-class areas like Alvaston as “you can’t say anything anymore” .
It’s no surprise, then, that Reform hopes to replicate its success on a broader scale.
Derby the ‘key objective’
Tice told The Telegraph that winning in Derby, home to Derby North, currently a Conservative seat, and Derby South, represented by Labor’s Margaret Beckett for the past 40 years, was a “key target”.
“We have achieved great success in these local elections thanks to the hard work of our prominent and well-known local candidates,” he said.
“We are going to maximize our efforts there, and that work starts now. His experience has helped teach our other candidates, and will continue to do so, in a successful campaign.”
Voting Conservative in Derby is historically unpopular and Derby South, which covers Alvaston, has only elected Labor MPs.
But while Conservative candidates won no more than 10 per cent of the vote in Alvaston, there is no shortage of right-wing sentiment, with the district previously backing Ukip councilors and Derby supporting Brexit in 2016.
Thus, Reform is benefiting from these socially conservative but anti-conservative voters. Chris Hopkins of polling firm Savanta said voters have told him they will “vote Reform to kick the Tories” amid high taxes and record immigration.
hyperlocal strategy
A hyperlocal strategy also worked wonders. While the party is known nationally as Reform UK, it is marketed as Reform Derby in the East Midlands town and “Reform Derby – Putting Alvaston and Allenton First” appeared on ballot papers.
Lord Hayward, a Tory peer and polling expert, said there was “no doubt the vote was personal” to Graves and others, suggesting it “had nothing to do with” broader politics. Hopkins added: “I think it’s highly unlikely that his success, if you can call it that, in Derby will translate nationally.”
However, a specific focus means Reform has built a strong relationship with voters by focusing on issues important to them.
He is now looking to make Derby his flagship area. Its spring conference was held there, while a party source indicated that it could become its equivalent to Brighton Pavilion, home to the only Green Party MP.
It is understood that the reform wants to repeat the Alvaston model, using hyperlocal policies as a “window” for a broader agenda, in other Red Wall Locationsincluding Hartlepool, Barnsley, Doncaster and Sunderland.
How these ambitions actually play out next year will answer the question of whether Reform’s suburban success was an anomaly, fueled by popular local candidates, or an anticipation of a political earthquake, across the East Midlands and beyond.
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