Local Elections 2026: Reform candidate criticises 'dirty trick' as opposition's tactical standing comes under fire

A Reform candidate says parties have played a “dirty trick” after choosing not to stand against each other in a bid to force opposition out.

Terry Norton, who is standing for Purbrook and Stakes South at county council and Stakes ward at borough council for Reform UK, has said tactical standing amongst three parties has “denied” the public.

This comes as Labour, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats have been accused of informally co-ordinating, their election efforts in the borough. Only one of the three parties is standing in each seat - which some would interpret as the three trying to gang up against the right-wing Conservative and Reform parties.

All three parties are generally considered to sit on the left or centre-left of the political spectrum. By avoiding competition against one another across the wards, they reduce the risk of splitting the vote among left-leaning voters. Instead of support being divided between multiple similar parties, voters are presented with a single candidate representing that broad political viewpoint, potentially increasing the chances of defeating Reform UK and Tory candidates, and gaining seats.

Norton, who stepped down from his role as Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner after four years due to the “integrity of it all”, said he “couldn’t look the electorate in the eye so I knew it wasn’t for me and I had to move away from it.”

He added: “They are in coalition anyway and what they have done is chosen not to stand against each other - it is no coincidence.

“We think they have done a dirty trick. It’s a deal to not go against each other and we would see it as denying the public but we think it will back fire.

“I think, especially for Labour, to have a big part in government and not stand in all wards is a hard pill to swallow. We have pushed hard. We have stood in all 19 seats - we have stood everywhere so it’s a full campaign so we can offer people the change we have been promising on their doorsteps.

“We’ve had to turn people away, we were inundated with people wanting to be candidates - it’s been a great campaign and we’ve been spoilt for choice.”

Clare Wakeley, who is a Green Party county council candidate for Cowplain and Hart Plain, told The News the decision not to stand in every ward was due to not having enough candidates.

She continued: “We just haven’t had enough candidates to cover every single area so we covered the ones we could - we have had a lot of growing interest though.”