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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Ben Quinn

Reform UK hoping to inflict damage on Tories in Blackpool and beyond

The pollsters have Reform UK slightly ahead of the Tories in the Greater Manchester mayoral race.
The pollsters have Reform UK slightly ahead of the Tories in the Greater Manchester mayoral race. Composite: Guardian Design/Getty/Shuttershock

Reform UK’s best hope of making headlines this week is Blackpool South’s byelection, but polling also shows the insurgent rightwing party is ahead of the Conservatives in two mayoral races.

While Labour are the frontrunners to regain Blackpool South – which fell to the Conservatives as the “red wall” crumbled in 2019 – the battle for second place there could be crucial to Rishi Sunak’s future.

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