Dear Member or Supporter,

Welcome to the latest Ribble Valley Branch newsletter, and a very happy Father's Day to all the Reformer Dads out there!

In May, we had a stunning set of local election results in Lancashire, which more than matched our performance in last years' local elections, and gave the lie to those who were saying that Reform is losing momentum. Many congratulations to Stephen Thompson, Daniel Nuttall and Rob Walsh of Ribble Valley Branch, who were all elected to Preston City Council.

Whilst we had no elections in Ribble Valley this year, we still managed to grow our Reform UK Group on Ribble Valley Borough Council to 4 Councillors due to defections from other parties. We are now the third largest opposition group on the Council and well placed to take full control in next years' election. You can help us achieve this by becoming a candidate.

I write this newsletter in the immediate aftermath of the Makerfield By-Election. Congratulations to our candidate Rob Kenyon, who put up an excellent fight against the self-appointed "King of the North". Whilst the result on the face of it may seem disappointing, it's worth remembering that in coming second, Rob still managed to increase both the Reform UK vote share and number of votes from the General Election in 2024, in what has been a Labour stronghold for over a century. Our friends at Restore polled less than the BNP did in Makerfield at the 2010 General Election, which says it all really! This was very much a "one-off" by-election in which many Reform voters appear to have tactically switched their votes to Labour, believing that this was a quicker means of removing Keir Starmer than waiting for a Reform UK General Election win. Not that Mr. Burnham is likely to be much of an improvement in the meantime. We shall see.

We have some great Branch meetings and social events coming up, so here are some dates for your diary:

1. Thursday, 9 July 2026 (7pm) - Branch Social at St. Wilfrid's Club, Longridge. We have secured a great guest speaker - the famed ghost-walk tour guide and expert on all things Ribble Valley, Mr. Simon Entwistle! Admission is by donation of £10 - book your tickets at this link: Ribble Valley Branch Social
   
   
2. Sunday, 2 August 2026 (12 noon) - Ribble Valley "Summer Sizzler" at the White Lion Pub, Clitheroe. Enjoy a BBQ and guest speakers including Paul Nuttall, Deputy Chairman of Reform UK, and Stephen Atkinson, Leader of Lancashire County Council. Donations on the door.
   
   
3. Sunday, 20 September 2026 - The Ribble Valley Summer Fundraising Ball at Mytton Fold, Whalley, with guest speaker Matt Goodwin - ticket details to follow soon.

In my last newsletter I mentioned that communications issues beyond our control were preventing our newsletters from reaching all of our Branch Members and Supporters, and invited you to join our new WhatsApp Community Announcements Group. Many thanks if you did, and if you haven't yet joined I would encourage you to do so. Also, in a further effort to improve communications, we have recently launched a Branch SMS messaging service. All Branch Members and Supporters who have provided a mobile telephone number will now receive text messages informing them of forthcoming Branch meetings and events (unless opted out), which we hope you will find informative and helpful.

Finally, a massive "thank you" to everyone who volunteered in the May local elections and at the recent by-election. Your commitment proves once again that we are not so much a political party as a people's movement to change things for the better. No doubt we will be called upon again very soon to help Reform UK win the forthcoming Greater Manchester Mayoral Election campaign!

I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming meetings and events. Thank you again for all your support. Remember - it's your Branch and we need you, so again, please get involved by becoming a candidate, volunteering, or making a donation to the Branch (link below). Or all three!!!

Gary D. Wood Chair, Reform UK Ribble Valley

Please donate to our Branch: CLICK HERE