Former Skegness councillor wins seat for Reform in Norfolk

National World

Former Skegness county councillor Robin Hunter-Clarke has returned to politics winning the  seat for Reform in Norfolk. Here he is welcomed to the Party by its leader Nigel Farage.

Transcript

00:00them. I'm going to begin with a man called Robin Hunter-Clark. He was, a few years ago,

00:08the youngest councillor in the country. Since then, he's gone on and qualified as a solicitor.

00:20And last year, he was one of the few Conservative gains in local elections that happened all

00:28over the country. But tonight, I'm not sure he's told the Conservative Party this yet,

00:40but tonight, Robin Hunter-Clark joins me on stage because he is joining Reform UK.

01:10Thank you, everybody. Thank you, Nigel. Happy New Year to you all. What a year it's going

01:24to be, hey? It's an absolute pleasure to stand before you tonight as your newest councillor,

01:31and I've come all the way from Norfolk. So the authority I belong to is a district council

01:41called Breckland, for those of you that may know it. And so I'm very proud to stand here

01:46before you this evening, now representing Reform. Deciding to make this move was not

01:57an easy one. Life's big decisions rarely are. But in truth, this one was simpler than most.

02:04I've given the Conservative Party every opportunity to prove it could change,

02:10to rediscover a sense of purpose, integrity, and moral direction. Time and time again,

02:18I hoped it would rise to that challenge. And yet every step of the way, both the party and

02:26many of its senior members have profoundly let me down and let us down.

02:31Ladies and gentlemen, much has been said recently about the Conservative Party dying. I'm here to

02:44report to you tonight that it is now dead. In fact, I checked for a pulse before I left it,

02:58and I can confirm it's not just dead, it's been embalmed, buried and forgotten. Now,

03:11yesterday I was at Norfolk County Council, and I witnessed something truly shocking,

03:17and it's happened in other counties as well, this one here too, where both the Labour Party

03:23and the Conservative Party voted to cancel the upcoming County Council election. Why,

03:30you may ask? Because they know that if we had an election, Reform would win it,

03:36and win it convincingly. They're cowards, the loss of them. I told them so yesterday,

03:45and that's why I stand here today. But if we've reached the point where elections are cancelled,

03:53as Nigel has just said, simply because those in power fear losing, then democracy really is under

04:00threat. We must ask ourselves, what is the role of a political party in a democracy? It's to serve

04:08the people, to represent their hopes and concerns, and to stand up for their future. When a party

04:16becomes more interested in clinging to power than serving the public, it has lost its way.

04:22And that's exactly what I witnessed yesterday.

04:30I want to pay a special tribute to one Conservative councillor, a lady called Claire Bowes,

04:39who stood tall and principled against the tide in Norfolk. Her courage is admirable,

04:45and I hope in time she and others like her will join us. Because make no mistake,

04:51there are many decent, hard-working Conservatives who see the writing on the wall.

04:58Reform is the future, and I want to give them the confidence to join us in delivering it.

05:11This country is crying out for change. Every corner of our nation demands reform. Our economy,

05:19our public services, our health system, every institution that has been neglected for far

05:24too long. Let's take our NHS as just one example. For years we've heard politicians promise change,

05:31pledge billions, and roll out headline-grabbing policies, yet nothing has improved for patients

05:38or staff. Reform means tackling the root causes of inefficiency and waste. It means empowering

05:45local leaders and frontline workers instead of piling on bureaucracy.

05:53Our education system, too, needs a serious, serious overhaul. Every child in this country

06:00deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them for the challenges of the

06:06modern world. That doesn't mean tinkering with targets or exam structures. It means bold,

06:13forward-thinking reforms that put the needs of children and their future at the heart of every

06:19decision. And let's not forget the urgent need to address the state of our economy.

06:31The small businesses that form the backbone of our communities are being crushed under the weight

06:37of taxes and regulations. Reform is about unleashing the potential of every entrepreneur,

06:45every worker, and every industry to create prosperity for all.

06:57A year ago, perhaps even a few months ago, if someone had said that Nigel Farage had a shot

07:06at becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,

07:12people would have laughed, wouldn't they? Well, they're not laughing now.

07:22The opinion polls are clear. The momentum is real. Reform UK is giving voice to millions of people

07:31who have felt ignored, forgotten or taken for granted for far too long.

07:43This isn't just about winning elections. It's about restoring trust in politics.

07:48It's about showing people that government can be honest, transparent and accountable.

07:54It's about building a movement that puts the British people first

07:58and delivers the change they desperately need.

08:03Ladies and gentlemen, I'm honoured to be here tonight, standing alongside all of you.

08:08Together we have a chance to shape the future of this great nation. Let's seize it with both hands.

08:16Thank you for your time and your warm welcome onwards and upwards.

08:28And now, sticking with the youth theme but coming closer to home...

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