Nottinghamshire residents are in for a “sobering experience” under the leadership of Reform, the former leader of Nottingham City Council has said.
Councillor David Mellen, who resigned from the city council in 2024 after the authority effectively declared itself bankrupt, said the future is “scary” for a Reform-run County council following the party’s victory at the local elections on May 1.
The election saw Reform, who previously had no representation on the council, take 40 divisions county-wide and take an overall majority from the Conservatives, while Labour lost 11 seats, reducing their total to four.
Following the results, Cllr Mellen, who continues to represent the Dales ward on the city council, said: “A lot of good, hardworking councillors have been swept on the basis of not a very lot.
“This is the same attitudes as in the EU referendum.
“It’s a reflection on the major parties and its leaders.
“It will be a sobering experience for the people of Nottinghamshire.”
Cllr Mellen’s comments come after Reform also took control of Derbyshire County Council, again from the Conservatives.
The Tories, who won a majority in Nottinghamshire 2021, lost 20 seats this year.
Other parties also suffered losses, including the Ashfield Independents who lost nine seats in the area that Reform MP Lee Anderson also represents.
The new leadership of Nottinghamshire County Council has not yet been confirmed and will be decided on May 12.
Reform’s success in the East Midlands was mirrored nationwide, with Nigel Farage’s party taking control of 10 local authorities including county councils in Durham, Lincolnshire and Kent.
Cllr Mellen said that Mr Farage is a “good speaker” who said what residents wanted to hear, and he added that his party’s gains were fuelled by the same attitudes seen during the EU referendum.
He also predicted that Reform will target the East Midlands mayoralty – currently led by Labour’s Claire Ward, with the next election for the combined authority in 2029.
He said: “I imagine they’ll be going for the East Midlands combined authority mayorship as there is a lot of funding to be allocated through that.
“They have no experience, and they will make mistakes”.
Councillors for Reform in Nottinghamshire did not respond to a request for a comment.
