Reform UK has selected the party’s candidate to stand in the Queen’s Park by-election for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council.
The party has picked John Shepherd, 65, a journalist who has lived in Brighton for 20 years and who also stood in the by-election in the same ward a year ago.
Mr Shepherd, who lives in the ward, said: “It’s time that the residents of Queen’s Park had a councillor who is prepared to stand for the full term and deliver real change.”
The by-election next month is the third in the two-member ward since the local elections in May 2023, with all three triggered by the resignation of councillors elected as Labour candidates.
The latest by-election was called earlier this month after the resignation of Milla Gauge who cited concerns about child protection, particularly for youngsters who were confused about their gender identity.
Mr Shepherd said: “If elected, my focus will be on reducing anti-social behaviour and crime, prioritising council housing for local families and addressing fly-tipping and issues with street cleaning.
“I will also stand up for parents and work to protect children from gender ideology in the classroom. Children should not be socially transitioned at school or prescribed puberty blockers.”
Reform UK Brighton and Hove chairman Martin Hess said: “Once again, a Labour councillor has let the people of Queen’s Park down by failing to serve their full term.
“After record Reform UK wins in East Sussex County Council elections in May 2026, it shows people here want real change.
“A vote for John and Reform UK at this by-election will be the first step towards ending the chaos of both Labour and the Greens which has wreaked havoc in Brighton and Hove for too long.”
Reform UK said that was “the fastest growing political party and exists to fix a broken Britain through common-sense policies on immigration, the economy, the NHS and restoring national sovereignty”.
The party added: “We believe in challenging the political establishment, cutting the cost of living and putting British people first.”
Reform are no.1
John Shepherd recently stood down after a stint as editor at large for Batteries International, who describe themselves as “a media and information outlet that covers the battery industry and its crucial role in accelerating the transition to net zero emissions by supporting renewable energy integration, electric vehicles, and grid stabilization.” How long before he defects to the Greens?
To John Shepherd I would say this: I remember my email correspondence immediately before last September’s by-election, when I raised these issues with you. Having ignored the issue you were suddenly quite clear then about your support for Reform’s policies on gender ideology and single-sex provision, and you told me that you did not “ignore or side-step issues of concern raised by anyone – especially Queen’s Park residents”. Fair enough – I can only assume that deleting my questions from the Reform FB page was carried out by the previous chair – glad to see a new chair is in place.
I would be interested to know what you actually did, as a local candidate, with the specific safeguarding concerns that residents were raising at the time — including the questions put to candidates by PSHEbrighton.org? I gather you – like the Green and Labour candidates ignored those questions.
If you are now seeking election again on a platform of concern about safeguarding, I hope you will be prepared to engage with the specific local questions PSHEbrighton send you. Residents are entitled to ask not only what candidates say they believe, but what they did when these concerns were raised previously.
John mentioned ESCC wins, but has anyone actually watched them in meetings? It’s beyond dire. Look at their “shop window” council, KCC, and the disaster that’s been which are beyond parody. Pretty much his whole statement can be summed up as he read the latest headlines and used all the buzzwords…
You’ve obviously not watched a recent BHCC meeting, Benjamin. Beyond “dire” and riddled with small talk and cliches as everyone filibusters towards a seemingly pre-determined conclusion in most cases. A lot of participants are getting missed off the Attendee list too under Ms Sankey’s administration, which is not on, with substitutes also unmentioned, meaning official council records are becoming more and more riddled with inaccuracies. The webcasts are no less ropey with dodgy translation software either missing details or misinterpreting what is happening, participants’ names not kept visible at all times and electronic participants from home regularly subject to glitches and even cut offs.
Intellectual rigor, debate and genuine opposition in BHCC Council meetings have become as rare as rocking horse deposits.
Brighton hasn’t involved insisting on everyone singing the national anthem though, and reciting specific religious texts regardless of personal religion, have they? Or attempting to censor books akin to Nazi Germany? Typical politicking has nothing on some of the ridiculousness of Reform. Let’s remind ourselves that Reform wanted to ban promotion of literature around Black History Month and Pride in Essex, the very council that John here is boasting of winning.
One has to wonder the wisdom of a man who wants to align himself with a company that promotes such bigotry or a person who seeks to defend it.
Oh, and my other thought; Reform Ltd’s Suella Braverman denied saying homelessness was a “lifestyle choice” this week, despite it still being on her twitter page, following the party’s constant stream of “ignorant, stigmatizing, and factually incorrect” as described by Shelter and Big Issue.
One has to wonder the wisdom of a candidate who aligns himself with an organisation like that, whilst claiming he wants to prioritising council housing for local families, despite that already being prioritised by Labour right now.
Good luck John. You sound like the most sensible candidate so far. And no obvious conflicts of interest either, unlike with the Green candidate who earns his money from council contracts.
I would assume that John makes the fact that he is gay aware to all reform voters?
Also are reform voters in his area aware that “puberty blockers” are not allowed under NHS unless a chook has an early offset of puberty.
Yes as part of a clinical trial or maybe private treatment, but that would come through parents agreement just like any other treatment that a child has…
The area does have many problems but does it need a reform candidate to fix them? No it just needs somebody with some decency rather than relying on political rhetoric and heresay to get into an office…
Yes, sorry the homeless problem, sort the inadequacy of police in the area but don’t aim for issues like gender to win your seat…