Dear Member or Supporter,

Welcome to the latest Ribble Valley Branch Newsletter!

Since my last Newsletter, we have had a very successful Party Conference. Some local success too; thanks to the efforts of Reform UK in threatening to take the Labour Government to court over their Local Government Reform proposals, their plans affecting Lancashire that were due to commence next year have now been put on hold. Had they gone ahead, Lancashire County Council and Ribble Valley Borough Council would have been abolished and replaced with a so-called "Unitary" Council covering Preston, Lancaster and Ribble Valley. This will now not happen before 2028/29 at the earliest, by which time this awful Labour Government will hopefully be long gone and forgotten along with their ill-considered plan for Local Government Reform, which 3 out of 4 Lancashire residents have said they don't want.

The upshot of the above is that the local elections in Ribble Valley will be going ahead next year as planned. We aim to take full control of Ribble Valley Borough Council next May, but to do this need your help. We are looking for 40 committed people who are Reform UK Members, live or work in the Ribble Valley, and want to make a real difference, to stand as Councillor candidates representing Reform UK in Ribble Valley. If you are a Ribble Valley Branch Member who lives or works in South Ribble or Preston, we also need you to come forward to stand for us in the local council elections in these areas next year. Please apply to be a candidate by clicking on this link: becoming a candidate. 

We have some important Branch events coming up, so here are some dates for your diary:

1. Tuesday 27 October 2026 (7pm) - Branch Meeting at The Walton Arms, 1 St Aidan's Road, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 6GD. This will be a joint Branch Meeting with our friends at South Ribble Branch. We will have a number of guest speakers, including Paul Nuttall, Reform UK Deputy Party Chairman, and your local Reform UK Councillors will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about becoming a Reform UK candidate. Buffet will be provided and a full bar will be available.
   
   
2. Tuesday 24 November 2026 (7pm) - Ribble Valley Branch Annual General Meeting at The Ribchester Arms, Blackburn Road, Ribchester, Preston PR3 3ZP. Speakers and further details to be announced shortly. Buffet will be provided and a full bar will be available.
   
   
3. Saturday 12 December 2026 (7pm) - Ribble Valley Branch Christmas Dinner. Further details to follow soon.

Finally, if you haven't already, please be sure to join our WhatsApp Community Announcements Group to make sure that you keep fully up to date with everything that's happening in the Branch.

I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming meetings. 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!!!

Kind Regards, Gary D. Wood
Chair, Reform UK Ribble Valley

Please donate to our Branch: CLICK HERE