Behind the scenes with Reform UK in one of Britain's newest councils where residents have felt 'left behind for generations'

It's also known for its fishing heritage, and now the shellfish sector is a key part of the town's modern industry.

Ahead of last year's general election, issues raised by people in the town were concerns over coastal pollution, coastal erosion and protecting greenfield sites and farms, the need for improved transport services and problems around employment opportunities, access to healthcare and the cost of living.

A lack of affordable housing was also described by many as the reason they struggle to live on the coast.

Businesses have also said that a lack of affordable housing has made finding employees more difficult, especially seasonal workers for tourism-related jobs.

It seemed that locals wanted change in the last general election as the majority of the traditional Tory voting town put their X in the ballot box for Labour MP Alison Hume.

The last time the coastal constituency had a Labour MP was in 1997, and after that the post was held by Conservative Sir Robert Goodwill for 19 years from 2005 to 2024.

But in May, it seems that the political tide turned again in Scarborough as Reform UK won a landslide victory in Scarborough's first-ever town council election, with all the party’s 11 candidates successfully winning seats.

The Labour Party also won two seats alongside two Independent candidates, while Sir Robert Goodwill, who stood down as the town's Conservative MP in 2024, failed to win a seat.

The town council was created this year to give the unparished parts of Scarborough greater local representation and power to address community needs.

There was also another win in Scarborough by Reform UK, as in June, Tom Seston became a Reform UK Councillor after winning Scarborough’s Eastfield by-election for a seat on North Yorkshire Council. He took 62.7 per cent of the vote in the by-election.

Reform UK members are also growing in number in Scarborough and meet monthly with Reform UK town councillors.

GB News recently visited them, where they were all catching up over a coffee at Caffe Royale on the town's South Bay.

David Bowes, Chair for Constituency Branch of Reform UK, organises the meetings. He previously stood in the general election for Reform UK and came in third behind the Conservatives.

He says that the party is growing in strength and support within Scarborough.

"We were five or six people in a pub two years ago and have gone from a small group to up to 70 people meeting each month," said Bowes.

"We've got 11 Reform UK town councillors, including the mayor and a unitary councillor in one of the seats on North Yorkshire Council - it's grown exponentially and I'm incredibly proud of what we've done here.

"There were 15 positions on the newly created town council. We got 11 to stand and we got all 11 elected - we were blown away by the support locally.

"We're all local, we've got families here, businesses here, and that resonates. There's a disconnect in politics that has been a bugbear for people for maybe a generation or more, and that's what we are locally tapping into, and on a national level with Reform too.

"We stand behind Reform UK and the policies that are part of the contract from the general election, but we have still got to be credible when we respond to the public locally about local issues. It's that presence and credibility that we are building with local people, and the councillors here are becoming champions for the local people.

"As a council, we have concerns over plans at West Pier and we stand with the fishermen here and also to build a better economy in Scarborough.

"We are all voluntary, we don't get paid for it, we do it because we are invested in the area because we are local people and it's an honour and a privilege to do it."

Mr Bowes believes that on both a local and national level, Reform UK is tapping into communities that feel unheard, and none more so than in coastal communities like Scarborough.

He said: "Coastal communities have been left behind for generations. We all know the demise of the fishing industry from the 1970s, we know the attack on the farming industry and these two industries are synonymous with this constituency and probably every coastal community up and down this country.

"We've also got tourism which is a huge industry in this area, but there is no added weight to the financial gift that we get from the council to account for that - we get 1 million visitors to Scarborough and Whitby every year but we don't get additional money for that so we have to do a lot more with a lot less in the costal community.

"So I think we feel left behind and Reform is answering a lot of questions for people as there is talk of investing in our farming industry, scrapping the family farm tax, investing in fishing communities, looking at what opportunities there are out at sea at Dogger Bank [wind farm] and looking to reindustrialise certain areas in order to layer the economy and build resilience so that our kids have got a future in the area, because if we haven't got that, we haven't got anything.

"People have been failed generationally, you've got the same conveyor belt of career politicians, and people are looking now to a Government that can fix the problems in their area, and Reform is coming up with solutions. I don't think the other two parties are doing that."

Town councils take responsibility for providing and maintaining local amenities such as open spaces, allotments, public clocks, village halls, footpaths and litter bins.

They also provide community buildings and a wide range of facilities, from cemeteries and allotments to grants and community groups.

Responding to planning applications and accessing grant funding for projects can also fall under their remit.

Town councils can influence local laws and policies that address community needs, such as zoning regulations, public safety measures, and environmental policies.

They also raise a precept - a form of council tax - to help fund its operation and oversee the allocation of funds for various services, ensuring taxpayers' money is spent effectively.

The precept for Scarborough Town Council for 2025/26 was set at £384,000, meaning in Scarborough, a Band D household would pay an annual charge of £28.88.

Upon winning the local election, Thomas Murray, Reform UK Scarborough Town Council Mayor and councillor for Castle ward, said he wanted to "reverse the decline" and help out the "most vulnerable people", adding that his win offered the chance for "a bit of pride" to return to Scarborough.

But at the first town council meeting, not all residents were in favour of Reform UK's landslide victory, with a small number of protesters holding signs opposing the party outside the town hall.

But Cllr Murray told GB News that five months in, faith in the town council is growing.

He said it is saving money for the people of Scarborough and giving them a voice.

Murray added: "In our most recent town council meeting, we had a motion about flags - the community wants to bring more pride about where we are and as you can see when you go around the bay, lots of flags have been erected and there's a lot of pride in our flag.

"Our flag is inclusive to the country, it represents freedom, it represents freedom of expression and identity, and it's a great thing to be proud of."

David Knowles, Scarborough Town Council Reform UK councillor for Northstead Ward said that he campaigned on local issues, including the investment in and plans for West Pier, where the harbour is, as well as for the regeneration of the town centre.

He added: "We cover most of the North Bay in the Northstead ward, so there's a lot of tourist attractions on our side of the town. We need to clean up places like Peasholm Park and fix some of the attractions, we've worked on fixing pavements in Trafalgar Square, getting fly-tipping sorted and resurfacing works."

William Stuart, Scarborough Town Council Reform UK Councillor for Falsgrave & Stepney Ward, said that he believes the party's success in Scarborough was due to both local and national issues.

He said: "People voted for us because they look at the country and they do want to see change, and we shouldn't forget that - we are the voice for the local people.

"Within my area, you often see a lot of proactive work with the parks and the amount of effort that people put into those spaces and we support that on the town council.

"Within the country, people voted for Reform UK because they want a change from the uni-party and want to see us move in a different direction, and this is a stepping stone for us, giving that voice at the county level and above.

"We are in a cost-of-living crisis, and within Reform, we want to save on costs and increase efficiency because people are going through tough times financially, so we need efficiency in public services."

Sarah Mason, Scarborough Town Council Reform UK Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Woodlands Ward, agreed and said: "We've always been a heavily Conservative town, they've let us down time and time again. Labour got voted in, and I'm not sure that's gone as well as expected.

"I've lived here for on and off 50 years and I can remember this town as a vibrant town when many properties were a bed and breakfast or a hotel or holiday flats, where we had amusements, when everything was tidy, but it's not as immaculate as it was, it's the broken window effect and we need a bit more pride."

Robert Everall, Scarborough Town Council Councillor for Weaponness & Ramshill ward, added: "Scarborough is a holiday town, we need the place to be welcoming, we need to keep it clean, make sure people have a nice time, and keep it safe."

Reform UK member Joe Dean, 77, also spoke to GB News at the monthly meeting in Scarborough - a town that he has lived in for 20 years.

He said that he voted for the party in the general and local elections because he wants to see "change".

"I joined Reform due to the state of the country at the moment, and I voted for them as it's a vote for change," he said.

"The big issues for me are immigration, the cost of living, and tax changes and I feel like Labour is doing everything they can to destroy the country - Labour is hopeless, they don't seem to have any business experience and seem to have no idea how to run a country.

"I've lived in Scarborough for 20 years and it's gone downhill slightly, there are more asylum seekers and more crime.

"The town council have come up with some good ideas and overall I think Reform will lift the town of Scarborough and lift the country - it’s all doom and gloom at the moment, but they are spreading a message of hope, going back to old-fashioned values and respect for the law and a sense of community."

The next local elections in the area will be for North Yorkshire Council in 2027.

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