Nigel Farage calls on Steve Reed to RESIGN as he hails local election U-turn: 'Victory for democracy!'

Telling host Alex Armstrong of his "delight" at Sir Keir Starmer's latest U-turn, Mr Farage said: "We're delighted. I was shocked last year when elections were cancelled.

"I get it, if you get a pandemic or Foot and Mouth Disease, there are perhaps reasons why you might postpone elections in certain circumstances for a year. There were no good reasons for it happening last year."

He explained: "This year, the number of councils increased massively, including some, all Tory-controlled, Norfolk, Suffolk, east and west Sussex, where, for the second year in a row, elections were going to be cancelled. I was pretty shocked by this, and it's why we decided that we'd go to the High Court, we’d go for a judicial review. That was due to be heard this Thursday.

“The Government obviously knew they were going to lose. The boss of the Electoral Commission said what they'd done was illegal - clearly, the Government's own lawyers believe they'd acted illegally, and so they caved in and 4.6 million people, or should I say council taxpayers, will now get the vote.

"So yes, it's a legal victory. It's a victory for our party, but above all, it's a victory for freedom and democracy."

Taking aim at Mr Reed, the Reform leader suggested the decision and subsequent U-turn is a "resigning matter".

Mr Farage told GB News: "Our lawyers looked very closely at the legislation, and could find no good reason for why Steve Reed, at the behest of Keir Starmer, I suppose, decided to do this. The boss of the Electoral Commission said it was illegal. Clearly, the Government's own lawyers said it was illegal, that's why they’ve withdrawn.

"They knew they were going to lose in the High Court, and that's why I'm saying I think for the minister, Steve Reed, frankly, is this not a resignation matter?"

GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope pressed Mr Farage, asking: "You think it's time that Steve Reed walked? I mean, they're spending money here, aren't they, on restoring democracy to these 30 council areas. You think it's a resigning matter?"

The Reform leader made clear: "Well, I think if a minister acts in a way that's illegal and tries to cancel people's democratic rights to vote whilst they're still being charged their council tax, I personally think that it really is a resignation matter, yes."

Declaring his party will be "ready" for the May 7 elections despite doubt from critics, Mr Farage said: "All the parties will be in a slight state of panic this afternoon, saying, ‘Cripes, we’ve got a lot to do in terms of finding candidates and getting organised’.

"We've got the biggest membership of any party in the country, we professionalised significantly over the course of the last year, and we will be ready for May 7 in all 30 of these areas."

He boasted: "For us, it's another nearly 900 candidates that we have to find across those council areas and county areas, which for us, is just not going to be a problem."

Asked whether he is also preparing his party for a "snap general election", Mr Farage doubted one will be called: "I don't think a snap general election is likely. I guess the only thing that would cause it would be a financial meltdown on the bond markets.

"I don't see a snap election coming, but I do see a Government that is losing authority and credibility right across the board."

Predicting that Keir Starmer will be departing Downing Street despite hanging on following the Peter Mandelson scandal, Mr Farage joked: "Oh, a change in Prime Minister's coming, don't worry about that.

"My guess is, after he survived last week, they'll wait until May 7, wait for him to carry the can, get rid of him, and then move further to the left.

"And if you put me up against the wall, my guess would be it's Ed Miliband that takes over and carries on with his net zero fantasy, which is making Britain poorer and industrialising us. That's my guess."