Lee Anderson mocked as he still predicts Reform UK ‘earthquake’ | indy100

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Lee Anderson

As the analysis of this year’s local, mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales continues, with results showing humiliating defeats for right-wing parties, Reform UK MP Lee Anderson is nonetheless insistent that his party is about to cause a “political earthquake”.

Previously known as the Brexit Party and founded by Nigel Farage (now its honorary president), Reform only managed to bag two council seats in total, in the Hampshire town of Havant.

They join the Conservatives in having a pretty rubbish result at the polls, with Rishi Sunak’s Tories suffering a devastating loss of more than 470 councillors - and more results still to be declared.

Commenting on the state of the parties on Friday, Reform UK’s leader Richard Tice claimed his party was one “on the up”.

“What’s rapidly becoming clear - you’re seeing it in some councils elsewhere in the north east - is that we’re becoming the real opposition, in the north, to the Labour Party, and I think that will continue in the Midlands and Wales,” he said.

The remarks came as Reform UK secured more votes than the Tories in the majority of the 24 council elections held in Sunderland, although that still doesn’t mean they won any seats in the area.

In fact, independents (228 councillors), the Green Party (181 councillors), the Residents’ Association (48 councillors) and George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain (4 councillors) all won more seats than Reform UK, leading social media users to question why Tice’s party was getting far more airtime than these other parties:

A reminder that the Greens have won 80 times more councillors than Reform UK.\n\nSo every time Richard Tice or Nigel Farage appear anywhere in the news it would be nice to see 80 articles and interviews with green politicians for balance.
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Richard Tice is the big loser in last night's vote. Why are @bbcnews platforming the radical right like this?\n\nSo far Reform UK has won just 2 seats out of over 2,000.\n\nTo put this in perspective the Residents Association has 48.\n\nWho thinks the entire @BBC board needs sacking?
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The amount of coverage given to the Green Party, who have so far won 159 seats in these elections, compared to Reform UK, who have won two, has been quite something
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Maybe now we can stop the media\u2018s fascination with the political fringe Reform UK. If you want to represent \u2018the people\u2018 - well the Green party should get 80 times their air time.
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The Green Party, who have so far won 159 seats in these elections, have had less media coverage than Reform UK, who have won 2.
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And while Tice used the results in Sunderland to indicate his party was still a force to be reckoned with, Anderson shared the news from Havant to claim “a political earthquake is about to happen”.

Needless to say, this tweet from the Ashfield MP has been met with ridicule online, with one suggesting Reform UK is currently offering more of a “wet fart” than an earthquake:

@LeeAndersonMP_ Once more , you\u2019re at the side of the losers .
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@LeeAndersonMP_ A political wet fart is about to happen\n\nWe divide the votes to allow Labour to take overall control\n\n#ReformedRejects\ud83e\udee0
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@LeeAndersonMP_ The earthquake.
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@LeeAndersonMP_
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@LeeAndersonMP_ You\u2019re barely registering as a fart with just two councillors mate
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@LeeAndersonMP_ 2 local councillors ( in 2 areas with a less than 20% turnout)........... is a political earthquake - so good to see that your aspirations are set fairly low if that is an earthquake \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23
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@LeeAndersonMP_ Political earthquake?!\n\nIv got more recycle bins than you have council members
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Dream on, Lee.

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