Reform has chosen a journalist to stand for the party in the Queen’s Park by-election for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council.
John Shepherd, 64, has lived in Brighton for almost 20 years and said: “I lived in the ward until they moved the boundary.”
Mr Shepherd, who has never previously stood as a candidate for any political party, said that he was keen to tackle anti-social behaviour.
He said: “I joined Reform nearly two years ago because I was disillusioned with the way things were looking.”
He felt that Reform offered a fresh start and a chance to change politics for the better, adding: “I know the area and the problems and the issues.
“There’s been a bit of a merry-go-round in the ward lately. I don’t know that people actually think they’re being listened to.
“I’m used to getting out and about and talking to people in my job. I want to hear what people think the problems are. I think I can make a difference.”
Mr Shepherd had reservations about the prospect of Brighton and Hove City Council “taking over” Peacehaven and other places to the east as part of the pending shake up of councils in Sussex.
He said that there were plenty of things that he would like the council to “get done” in Brighton and Hove before taking on a bigger area.
He also said that he hoped people would be open to voting Reform and say: “Let’s give them a chance.”
He added: “I want to be a listening ear. And politics aside, I’m here to serve.”
Reform UK Brighton and Hove chairman Gary Farmer said: “The people of Queen’s Park continue to be neglected by a disconnected Labour Party as yet another councillor quits before even serving the term they were elected for.
“Residents need an honest, down to earth and hard-working councillor like John.
“He’s not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in to fight for what is right and put the local community first. No spin, no dodging the issues and no political point scoring.”
Oh dear Bejamin is off again with his lies and nonsense. Give it a rest, its so boring. People like you are why the police were involved in online threats of beating up the last Reform candidate to stand in Brighton & Hove by left wing thugs like yourself. All you can do is spew hatred and lies, grow up.
Cllr Lyons please Sir join Reform. You can be our next Council leader!
I’m sorry. You posted hours ago and I’ve only just stopped laughing.
“ no spin, no dodging the issues and no political point scoring.” So not a real journalist then
“He said that there were plenty of things that he would like the council to “get done” in Brighton and Hove before taking on a bigger area.”
Such as?
What does he see as the top 5 issues that would be his priorities for Queen’s Park Ward that within the remit of the Council?
Sounds like a decent chap, good luck to him, give him a chance. Same old Labour and Greens do nothing for this city, 3rd time QP goes to the vote in 3 years. Labour have had their opportunity and blown it again amd again and again.
I’m not a fan of giving ‘chances’ when it comes to governance. We should judge candidates on evidence of competence, not blind faith. Out of respect for the editor, who is currently reasonably reviewing the evidence base about one of my earlier comments, currently in moderation. That said, with this candidate, there isn’t much of a record to go on, and many will inevitably look at the party’s previous election performances.
I saw a comment by you that was published here, but has been taken down. It was a personal attack, relying on labels and name-calling. I don’t know you, or your target, but it struck me as the sort of comment that relies on a grain of truth to justify some really quite serious allegations.
It’s in moderation at the moment. It’s technically still there. I was asked to provide evidence to my claims, which I have done so. Here is a related article by this website, should you wish to come to your own conclusion. https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2025/04/22/election-candidate-deletes-twitter-account/
Im voting reform at the next election.
Roughly around 8% of the population in most European countries are fascists and quite like the idea of living under fascism.
What makes you think they won’t come after you whe it suits their agenda?
“No political point scoring” they promise, literally one paragraph below some absolutely classic political point scoring. And Reform councillors around the country elected in May have been quitting in droves, so “glass houses'” and all that.
Some of the reasons they are quitting include
1. Not being eligible to be a councillor because they work for the same council and would have to resign their job if they wanted to be a councillor.
2. They didn’t realise how little councillors get paid
3. having to attend meetings and (gasp) make decisions
4. Having to deal with constituents case work – ‘no one told us people would contact us aboout council complaints’
Labor government got to go
NIGEL IS THE ONE
Yeah “The people’s investment banker”
Labor gotta go Nigel is the one
is anyone aware of the online safety act? to say its bad news would be an understaement…theres much online concerning it
I’ve noticed you have been posting a lot about it. It’s one of the most significant pieces of digital regulation passed in the UK in recent years. There is a very interesting debate going on about whether the benefits outweigh the costs. I’ve not read into it enough to develop a clear opinion on it yet; the arguments are strong on both sides.
They’re all Tories!
The article is generous in giving ex Brighton & Hove Independents candidate aka #kemptowngary (Gary Farmer) a chance to say a few words but “no political point scoring” screams with irony. All the national party candidates running in this by-election do so to score a political point for their tribe (and the successful candidate will join the assorted councillor ranks quietly nodding according to their party group-think).
I’ve said this directly to Gary Farmer and so he will be expecting me to say the same on here: appointed as B&H Reform UK chair, Gary (who only 15 months ago pretended to be a principled independent) reeks of a political duplicity that should make even Reform supporters feel queasy. “Residents need an honest, down to earth and hard-working councillor like John”, says Gary. As the Independent candidate in the Kemptown by-election just 15 months ago he would have said that about the independent in the Queens Park by-election (that was me btw). Gary cos-playing as a member of Brighton & Hove Independents won’t be forgotten. BHI, though obliged to register as a ‘party’, were resolutely against the national parties using local governance as a launchpad for their party political (or other!) ambitions. Lets have indie candidates local to the ward said BHI. Signing up to that principle, Gary certainly fooled us. Just 6 months later he announced his Reform appointment and then put himself up for the by-election in Westbourne & Poets Corner.
Its political hypocrisy for sure, but also a creepy opportunism that makes me wonder if Reform UK have lost the plot where B&H local elections are concerned. I don’t know John Shepherd, perhaps he is the real thing, but what a clown show Reform are.
(Glad I got that off my chest!)
Adrian, how do you feel about this article reported today? Seems like a gagging order on journalism.
“The Reform UK leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has banned a local newspaper from speaking to him or any of his councillors “with immediate effect” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cger45p0lv0o
Banning basis newspapers is one thing. However, under the hard left in UK we see 30 people a day arrested for speech on X.
The Far left has decided what is hate speech is and banded anyone who disagrees with them. I hope Reform reverse the cultural destruction of UK by the Green Party Marxists
“For supporting a proscribed organisation, that is specifically a crime in law.” – That’s the key difference there, Carson.
Queens Park Ward is statistically speaking left wing, internationalist and socially liberal.
In short this guy has a farts chance in a collander.
We need to beat reform and support immigration and Taxing rich to build council houses and tax people who think they are better than us also triple tax on private schools they can all afford it that lot from hove and Montpellier
Excellent news. So glad that Reform will be represented in Brighton & Hove. It’s become a tatty second rate city run into the ground by woke left-wing nutcases who care more about ideology than running the city properly.
Fortunately, they’ll never get elected in this by-election, based on their historical election performance, and the reported actions of their candidate.
Good luck to him, Brighton certainly needs a bit of Reform!
Waste of time. He should try Clacton-they seem to be up for it and need someone to fill an empty seat.
Total council and government clean out.
Start with reinstate unbiased school catchment areas around where you live.
Forget school meals fiasco, grab an apple.
Welfare is not for car ownership, petrol or cigarettes. If you can afford these items you’ve got too much money for welfare.
End council waste on stupid roundabouts and o the road rubbish fix the potholes.
Close the refuse department and the enviro health section responsible and contract all of it out, to end corruption and non collection at brighton depot, early finishes are over. The likely mafia style operation is well known.
Close the depot except for handling with a plan to remove that too, from central brighton.
In Australia 50 years ago the conservative government fed up with waste, initiated a group called the razor gang. A full team of autonomous government individuals who entered every area of government to analyse and remove vigorously, every role in a government section or agency. They could end any employees or managers role as they saw fit without recourse. There was no appeal. “Get a real job” That team only existed until cuts ended.
Start with this council