Reform UK achieved significant gains in Solihull, but the election results were bittersweet for its former local leader. The party swept all seats in Castle Bromwich, Chelmsley Wood, Fordbridge, and Kingshurst and Smith's Wood, adding 13 councillors to reach a total of 17 and become the second-largest party on Solihull Council.
From Zero to 17 Councillors
Just a year ago, Reform UK had no representation on the council. That changed when defectors from the Conservative Party formed a group. Michael Gough, who led the party locally, was among the first rebels to join last September. However, he lost his seat in Silhill, where the Conservatives won all seats.
A Bittersweet Victory
Speaking after the count, Gough said: "It's a bittersweet day for me. I lost my seat and I'm gutted. But as far as Reform are concerned, absolutely fantastic. We came from pretty much nowhere. I'm delighted for my wife Eleonara, who was elected. It's something to build on."
Leadership Contest Ahead
Gough's defeat raises the question of who will lead the party on a council now in no overall control. Possible candidates include original Tory defectors Samantha Gethen and Prish Sharma, who were re-elected, and Alan Feeney, who also won a seat on Birmingham City Council on May 8. Other newly elected Reform councillors include Collette Brown, Ian Brown, Jamie John Campbell, Paul Goldingay, Eleonara Gough, David Paul Hoey, Michael James, Robert Edward Johnson, Sharon Teresa O'Connor, Dan O'Neil, Adrian Stefanovici, Lisa Rosemarie Taylor, Phil Tierney, and Chris Whelan.
Councillor Feeney told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that a new leader would be chosen at the party's annual general meeting on May 11. The new group will face the Conservative minority administration at a full council meeting scheduled for May 26.
