A Lancashire county councillor has become the first politician in Britain to defect from Reform UK to Labour, citing “growing concerns about Reform’s ability to deliver at a local level”.
Nigel Swales, who represents Skelmersdale East on Lancashire County Council, was elected in May 2025 for Reform UK.
But he has now decided to leave the party, saying he had seen “first-hand” how “Reform simply doesn’t have a serious plan”.
Mr Swales, who works as a paramedic, insisted he originally stood for Nigel Farage’s party to “make a difference for the people I represent”.
But he added: “Since then, the party has been embroiled in scandal and I’ve seen first-hand that Reform simply doesn’t have a serious plan or the leadership needed to deliver real change – people in Lancashire deserve representatives focused on getting things done rather than generating headlines, sowing division or playing political games.”
Reform UK said voters “will rightly be feeling betrayed and disappointed that they have woken up with yet another Labour councillor today”.
But leader of the Labour group at the authority, councillor Mark Clifford, said news of the defection – which takes the Labour group at the authority to six – was “fantastic news”.
He added: “We are really, really proud to actually get Nigel Swales to leave Reform and come to Labour, it’s brilliant news and this is just going to be the start of many more.”
Although several councillors and MPs have quit Reform or defected from Reform to the Tories – and vice versa – this is the first defection from Reform to Labour.
Mr Swales had previously been a member of the Labour Party but never in an active role.
A Labour North West spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to welcome Nigel Swales to the Labour Party.
“This first defection from Reform to Labour speaks volumes and we expect there will be many more – people who have seen Reform up close are discovering that behind the slogans there simply isn’t a serious plan for governing or improving people’s lives.”
Ashley Dalton, MP for West Lancashire, said she is “delighted to welcome county councillor Nigel Swales to the Labour Party, from Reform UK”.
“Nigel, like many, has realised that Reform can’t deliver for Skelmersdale. Only Labour can. In defecting to Labour, Nigel is putting Skem first.
“Nigel is the second Lancashire County Councillor to abandon Reform UK, and I hope to see many more moves across West Lancashire and the country as people realise the truth of Reform: that they cannot and will not deliver what they promise.I look forward to working closely with Nigel on delivering for Skelmersdale.”
Mr Swales’ defection comes weeks after Leon Graham – another West Lancashire Reform county councillor – defected from the party to the Conservatives in July.
He said he had “come to view [Reform] as a party of protest rather than one preparing to govern.”
A Reform UK Lancashire spokesman said: “After 34 years, voters in East Skelmersdale rejected Labour at the ballot box last May. Residents will rightly be feeling betrayed and disappointed that they have woken up with yet another Labour councillor.
“Cllr Swales was receiving support from the Reform UK group for a significant amount of time leading up to his defection as a result of personal issues. This resulted in Reform councillors picking up his casework and dealing with his understandably lower attendance.
“We trust that the Lancashire Labour group is willing and able to provide a similar amount of support going forward.”