A Conservative councillor for Chalfont St Giles was told to join Reform UK or face “the imminent selection of a candidate to stand against you”.
Councillor Carl Jackson was one of 1,352 Tory councillors who were given the ultimatum by Nigel Farage MP to join the party’s “winning machine”.
For cllr Jackson, the answer was simple: “Thanks but no thanks.”
He told CHALFONTS&GERRARDSCROSSnews: “I thought it was quite funny when I got the letter. I thought it was a bit cheeky, but I can understand why they are doing it.
“I think it’s an appeal to the right wing of the Conservative Party or people who might be disappointed by the results of the leadership contest. They want to capitalise on the Conservatives’ poor General Election result, but we’ve won 35 council by-elections across the country since then. Reform have won two.”
In a video posted on social media, Mr Farage MP said the party will be “throwing the kitchen sink” at the coming county elections.
He said: “We will not be standing aside for absolutely anybody. The [Conservative] brand is broken, it’s done. You can’t betray people consistently election after election, manifesto after manifesto, without a massive price to pay.”
The letter claims that Reform UK have more than 90,000 active members and 3,500 people who have applied to be a party candidate at the elections in May next year.
But cllr Jackson said “there is no temptation to take the offer”.
He added: “Being a councillor is about getting roads repaired, bins collected, recycling centres operated, homelessness prevented, and social care provided – not massaging Mr Farage’s ego.”
Reform UK and Mr Farage MP’s office have been contacted for comment.
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