Double council by-election win for Reform UK

Reform UK has doubled the number of local councillors it has on a Norfolk local authority after two by-elections.

Jacqueline Fry won the seat on the Fairstead ward at the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Businessman Austen Moore won the North Lynn seat, meaning the party now has four councillors in total on the local authority.

The Conservative Party did not field candidates in either by-election after struggling to find people to stand.

There were only 14 votes in it between Fry and the Liberal Democrat candidate Crystal Colwell.

Turnout for the ward, which covers one of the most deprived estates in the Borough, was 17%.

The result for Reform was more convincing in North Lynn, with Moore winning by 125 votes. Although the turnout there was lower - at 13%.

Moore, a businessman and life coach who lives in King's Lynn, joined Reform 12 months ago.

"I'm a realist. I want to help the people I'll represent and make a difference," he said.

"It's a mistake to go into a place and tell them this is what they need.

"Until I speak with members of the community I won't know what I'm going to focus on."

The Tories denied that the party was on the retreat in west Norfolk, saying it just had not been possible to find candidates to field.

Reform has a total of 11 councillors across the various local authorities in Norfolk.

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