Nigel Farage speaks after Reform's historic win in Essex

The party has seized control of Essex County Council from the Conservatives.

The result marked the end of 25 years of Conservative control at County Hall, with Reform securing enough seats to take overall control of the authority in one of the biggest political shifts Essex has seen in decades.

Nigel Farage spoke after Reform's historic win (Image: Newsquest Reporter)

One of the most significant moments of the day came when Essex County Council leader Kevin Bentley lost his Stanway and Marks Tey seat to Reform UK candidate Andrew Harding.

Speaking after his defeat, Mr Bentley warned Reform it would need “more than slogans” to run the authority.

He said: “You can’t do that on slogans. You’ve got to have a plan.

“Essex is a large and complex county with many, many needs. A very large adult social care service we run, children’s services, all these are critical.

“So I wish them well, but they must have more than slogans.”

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch had earlier admitted the election results were “difficult” for the party, while senior Tory figures across Essex acknowledged Reform’s growing momentum throughout the county.

Speaking exclusively to us after Reform’s victory, Mr Farage said voters had “just had enough” and described the result as part of a much wider political shift across Britain.

“There are 10 county councils where we have outright majorities that we’ve run for the last year,” he said.

“It’s not been easy, it never is these things, but we’ve managed to keep our council tax rises below that of the other parties running similar authorities.

“We’ve managed to save considerable sums of money and we’ve shown we can be responsible at local government.

“Essex is full of hardworking people, entrepreneurial people. They’ve just had enough. They want real change and that’s what they voted for.”

Nigel toasted to 'change' (Image: Newsquest Reporter)

Mr Farage also rejected criticism from Conservative figures who warned Reform would struggle in local government.

“Of course, it’s all the old rubbish they come out with. They’re scared. Bernard knows his party’s done,” he said.

He said many voters saw Reform’s local election victories as “a stepping stone to the next election and some really big fundamental change in the country”.

“The real change isn’t just at local level. A lot of people who voted for us will see it as a stepping stone to the next election and some really big fundamental change in the country.

“There’s a general decline in behaviour, in law and order, in people feeling they’re safe out on the street. Women were saying to me, ‘please save us’. There’s a feeling things are just going badly wrong.

“We’re going to fight everything we can against renewable solar farms. We will leave the government’s refugee settlement programme on the basis there are homeless veterans living on the street and other people more deserving that need help.

“No one’s convinced me that dividing Essex up into five different administrative areas is a good idea. I don’t want Clacton Town Hall to close.

“Clacton Town Hall is there, it’s the local council, it’s a well-run local council and these proposals would mean places like Clacton being left out on a limb."

“There’s a feeling things are just going badly wrong.”

Addressing newly elected Reform councillors and supporters at Chelmsford City Racecourse, Mr Farage spoke about restoring trust in politics and delivering on promises made to voters.

“There’s a feeling after all the years of Conservative rule that whatever was said in successive manifestos was never actually meant - not just not delivered, but never actually meant,” he said.

“With this government, much of what they do wasn’t even in the manifesto.”

Mr Farage said Reform’s success showed the party was now winning support in both traditional Labour and Conservative areas.

“We have just cracked the red wall,” he said.

“Today in Essex, we cracked the blue wall.”

He pointed to Reform’s strong performances across the country, including gains in former Labour heartlands.

“We absolutely walked it with majority control in Sunderland, with majority control in Gateshead, with majority control in South Lanarkshire,” he said.

“And we won overwhelmingly in Durham, Westminster, Suffolk, Norfolk with the biggest party.”

Mr Farage added: “The turquoise wave has taken over Britain.”

He also praised Reform councillors elected across Tendring after the party swept every available seat in the district.

“I’m really thrilled,” he said.

“Full house, royal flush.”

Calling the Essex result “historic”, Mr Farage added:

“The Conservatives are dead in Essex. They have been running Essex County Council for 25 years and Reform have just smashed it. I was in Clacton yesterday and this morning as well supporting our candidates. The win in Tendring feels well deserved. I am delighted.”