Reform UK’s Woking campaign strategy has two prongs – national and local. As Nigel Farage said at the national launch of Reform UK’s local election campaign, we see these May elections as a stepping stone to Reform UK forming the country’s next government.

Locally, we are campaigning first and foremost on the need for the prudent financial management of council taxpayers’ money. Under previous administrations, Woking has accumulated over £2 billion in debt and is now bankrupt.

Contributing to this were over-ambitious property development schemes conducted by the council, such as Victoria Place, which ran out at a total final cost of £700 million, £240 million over its budget.

This misplaced strategy also led to terrible consequences, such as halting the Sheerwater Regeneration Project midway. This left Dartmouth Avenue and nearby roads like a ghost town, with shuttered shops, crumbling houses and amenities — like the local fish and chip shop — gone.

The Reform UK Woking campaign also prioritises roads, where the scale of potholes is beyond words, as is the wholly unacceptable incidence of temporary traffic lights and temporary road closures.

The Reform Woking slate of 14 candidates is full of people with real-world experience, who go out to work to support their families, paying taxes that fund our local and national services.

Our candidates range from small business owners and people who have served this country abroad in the armed forces, to senior finance professionals accustomed to the discipline of prudent financial management, and to people who have spent their working lives helping organisations bring about successful change.

They have the necessary record of achievement, know how very hard it is to achieve success for an organisation, and are all keen to serve the people of Woking and West Surrey.”