Reform councillor takes swipe at popular Facebook group

A newly elected Reform councillor has taken a swipe at a popular Gosport Facebook group during his first comments in office.

Cllr David Marshall used a famous quote often attributed to Sir Winston Churchill to make his point before revealing it never actually came from the wartime leader.

During the first full council meeting at Gosport Borough Council on Wednesday, all of the new councillors stood to give a short speech before the chamber.

Cllr Marshall, who now represents Brockhurst and Privett, said the line: “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

He then told the room that the quote was not in fact spoken by the former Prime Minister, and it was adapted from a 1938 advertising slogan for the Anheuser-Busch brewery.

He added: “It just goes to show you should not believe everything you read on Gosport Aware.”

Cllr Marshall’s comments were met with rapturous applause and cheers from those in the chamber and those sitting in the public gallery.

His colleague Cllr Colin Towell, Reform UK for Grange and Alver Valley, said residents of Gosport were clear at the local elections on May 7.

He said the party aims to introduce positive change in the chamber and across politics in Gosport, adding: “I hope you all include us in that change, including those honorary members who refuse to look me in the eye.”

Cllr Towell said the party has “been on a journey” in the last year, telling members: “From being sat in that balcony, being dismissed as ‘some form of political party’ to being here, the second largest party in the chamber, chomping at the heels of the Conservatives.

“There has been much bitterness and arguing, and we wish to see an end to that.”

During the meeting, Cllr Zoe Huggins BEM, leader of the Gosport Conservatives, was elected leader of the council.

The Conservatives retained all of their 11 seats in the local elections, and Reform UK won nine, leaving the council under no overall control.

The Liberal Democrats now only have six seats on the council.