Reform UK enters Wellingborough byelection battle
The fringe party was expected to put up Nigel Farage or even outgoing MP Peter Bone as a candidate, but yesterday announced that relative unknown Ben Habib will fight for the seat
By Sarah Ward
A Brexit supporting former MEP has been unveiled as Reform UK’s candidate for the Wellingborough and Rushden byelection.
The expected candidates of party chairman Nigel Farage and even the long shot of Peter Bone, were overlooked as the fringe party gained plenty of news coverage yesterday with a London press conference to outline their general election strategy. Businessman and former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib was announced as the byelection candidate.
Reform UK Leader Richard Tice said his party would be standing candidates in each constituency when the election is called and claimed his right wing political party is the only party of the working class.
Wellingborough is facing a byelection after its MP of almost two decades Peter Bone was kicked out of parliament by constituents last month. A recall petition was held following his suspension from parliament after a standards committee found he had bullied a young male staff member and also indecently exposed himself to them.
Bone, who was first elected in 2005, decisively beat Labour in the 2019 general election, and before his scandal was thought a safe bet to retain his seat, even if the national party suffered heavy losses.
Speaking at the press conference Ben Habib said:
“The reason I am standing in Wellingborough is because it is not sufficient anymore to defeat the Tories, we have to lead the way and get seats in parliament. We don't need to get many seats but if we can get a dozen or more in parliament - and I know a lot of you will be rolling your eyes, but the political environment is extremely febrile. No-one thought we’d vote for Brexit but we did and I think the political sands are shifting in a way they have not shifted for years.
“And it is incumbent therefore on Reform UK not to be just a destructive force but a constructive one and I intend to give the Wellingborough byelection the best swing of my bat and if I am elected I will stand in the commons and hold this wretched government to account.”
Whether Reform can make much of a mark in the town will likely depend on how much time and effort the party puts in.
Labour decamped its east midlands team into Wellingborough a couple of months ago in anticipation of the byelection and is the obvious favourite to take it on after almost two decades of Tory rule.
A Labour insider said the party was concentrating on its own candidate Gen Kitchen and its own campaign, rather than worrying about the outside noise of who the other candidates will be. They said if Bone did decides to stand as an independent ‘that would be great’.
The Conservative Party asked candidates to come forward this week, with the cut off being 4pm yesterday.
NN Journal spoke to one Conservative who had put themselves forward. They however were not hopeful of being chosen, thinking it will go to a local party favourite.
They said:
“I expect it will be a Bone faithful who gets the candidacy.”
They said the current Conservative executive that runs North Northamptonshire Council is referred to as the ‘Bonegloves’ - a reference to the belief by many that Corby MP Tom Pursglove and former Wellingborough MP Peter Bone have significant influence over the direction of the authority.
Council leader Jason Smithers is being touted as a possible contender, as is Thrapston unitary councillor David Brackenbury and Wellingborough councillor Matt Binley, the son of former Northampton South MP Brian Binley.
Bone’s partner Helen Harrison, who also sits on the North unitary executive is a hypothetical, but may be considered by the Tory party to be tainted due to her association with Bone.
Bone himself is currently remaining quiet on the situation. He is unable to stand as a Conservative again as he is suspended from the party following the findings of the parliamentary committee.
When the recall result was announced just before Christmas, he said he would have more to say in the new year, but has said nothing yet.
The Liberal Democrats are standing Ana Savage Gunn, who stood against Stephen Mold in the most recent police, fire and crime commissioner elections, and the Green Party candidate is Will Morris. Far right group Britain First has said on X it will be contesting the seat.
The byelection is expected to be in February and will be announced once approved by parliament.
Reform selecting Ben Habib as its man for Wellingborough by election will be a perfect litmus test for how the right wing vote will split in red brick land.
I believe Regorm will throw Farage & the whole cast at the town & may just shock a few Westminster pundits with its vote share.
From what I hear regularly in my hi-viz job & in my red brick pub I know that the majority of Bone’s huge majority who were lied to about Brexit are now enthusiastically swallowing the immigration lies...& will never vote Labour under any circumstances.
So a party that polls more then the Lib Dems is considered a fringe party is it ? And Ben Habib who is watched by millions on GB News as a regular guest and often seen on Talk TV too is relatively unknown ? Perhaps just try reporting the news rather than trying to put an obvious spin against the Reform party, which shows our worried you are that they will win.