To fend off Reform, mainstream parties must address the tangible decline of British towns

By Thiemo Fetzer, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Warwick

Reform UK’s surge in recent local elections is not an isolated incident but a culmination of long-term economic and social shifts that have reshaped British society. It is the latest chapter in a narrative that includes the 2016 Brexit referendum and reflects a broader disillusionment with mainstream politics.

To respond to their losses in these elections and the wider trend, Labour and the Conservatives must not treat the Reform vote as a transient protest…

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