A former independent Wigan councillor has joined Reform UK to double the party's presence in the town hall chamber
Weeks after Wigan elected its first Reform UK politician to the council, he already has company.
Coun Paul Watson has until now been an independent, but last night he announced that he has joined Reform saying that it was the “only party that is willing to prioritise the needs of the British people.”
Last month ex-Royal Military Policeman Lee Moffitt swept to victory for Reform by 421 votes in the Wigan Central ward by-election in the seat left vacant following the death of Labour’s stalwart member George Davies.
Father of five sons Mr Moffitt polled 1,391 with his closest rival, Adam Boon, for Labour, gaining 970 votes.
Pundits were predicting that Coun Moffitt’s victory would not be the last for the party locally, but most had not expected him to be joined on the opposition benches just yet.
Coun Watson, who has represented Atherton North since 2019, said only Nigel Farage’s party have the answers to the biggest problems facing the country, adding that “we have been betrayed by establishment politics, and that real political change is needed.
“Reform UK will rediscover the common-sense approach in politics, and return to the fundamentals of what governance actually is.
"Our job as politicians is to improve the quality of life and prosperity of the British people – it is that simple!
"Reform UK is the only party that is willing to prioritise the needs of the British people and that is why Wigan and the UK as a whole need Reform.”
The trend of defections to Reform UK is one the party believes will continue to grow, which it says underscores the urgent need for real change in our political system, both locally and nationally.
Coun Watson added: “I am proud to have joined Reform UK and my immediate goal is to work with the two other Reform UK branches within the borough, to establish a strategic foothold within Wigan Council, which will pave the way for a fully-controlled Reform UK Council in Wigan by May 2027.”
Welcoming him, a Reform spokesman said: “We’re delighted to have Paul on board.
"We welcome anyone who shares our vision for integrity, accountability, and meaningful change to join us.”