Dudley Conservatives Launch Election Campaign with Focus on Council Control
Dudley's Conservative Party has officially launched its campaign for the upcoming local elections, with group leader Cllr Patrick Harley issuing a rallying cry to secure outright control of the council. The launch event, held in Dudley on February 12, marked the starting point for what Harley described as a critical electoral battle.
Election Landscape and Conservative Strategy
With one-third of the council's 72 seats up for election on May 7, plus potential vacancies from current members, the political stakes are high. Currently, the Conservatives hold 33 seats, making them the largest group, but they rely on support from other councillors to ensure voting victories in the council chamber. Harley emphasized that these elections will be challenging and require extensive effort from all candidates, members, and volunteers across the board.
Harley stated: "These are important elections and likely to be very tough elections which will need hard work by all candidates, members and volunteers across the board. With Reform failing to win the most recent by-election in Dudley and Labour's vote collapsing, there is an opportunity to grab control with an overall majority in May. Getting our vote out will be crucial – but if we do, the reward will be there."
Challenging Reform UK's Influence
The campaign launch also featured strong criticism of Reform UK, a party currently leading in national opinion polls with a focus on immigration issues. Former Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge, who addressed the meeting at Fun City in St James's Road, targeted Reform UK and its leader Nigel Farage. Etheridge described Reform UK as a "cult" that followers blindly support without substantive reasoning.
Etheridge commented: "We see the cult of Reform they blindly follow; 'we are going to get Nigel into Downing Street, vote Reform' they chant. Have you ever tried asking one of them why? They haven't got an answer, they will say 'immigration'. As Patrick said, unless the boats are coming up the canal, there ain't a lot we can do about that here."
Local Issues and Conservative Actions
Harley highlighted his administration's efforts to address local concerns, particularly regarding asylum seekers. He noted that Dudley has only one hotel where Serco, a government contractor, houses asylum seekers, and emphasized that these are families rather than young single adult males. Harley asserted that his administration has held Serco accountable for its actions, demonstrating a tough stance on immigration-related matters at the local level.
Guest Speaker and Party Reinvention
The event featured Mark Littlewood, founder of Popular Conservatism, as the guest speaker. Littlewood advocated for lower taxation, reduced regulation, and a smaller state, arguing that the Conservative Party needs to learn from past successes to regain governmental power. He referenced historical figures like Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson as examples of wins not based on pandering to the middle ground.
Littlewood said: "There are some deep lessons we are going to have to learn if there is a route back to forming the next government. The big wins, Thatcher, Thatcher, Thatcher and Johnson; don't tell me those wins were based on pandering to the middle ground. When the Conservative Party pandered to the middle ground it didn't do so well. I think the Conservative Party is now going through another period of reinvention. The party was reinvented in 1975 under Margaret Thatcher; I think the party needs to go through something a bit similar."
As the campaign progresses, Dudley Conservatives are positioning themselves to overcome the challenge from Reform UK and secure a majority in the council, focusing on voter mobilization and local accountability as key strategies.
