Nigel Farage returns to West Sussex on campaign visit - In pictures

The Leader of Reform UK was pictured in Worthing, shortly after midday on Thursday, April 30 – ahead of local elections next week.

After his visit to The Promenade, Mr Farage was filmed with a microphone – on board a Reform UK open-top campaign bus – in Littlehampton town centre. He also stopped for a drink at a Yapton pub and later visited Bognor Regis.

This comes amid Mr Farage’s recent visits to Crawley, Ardingly and Crowborough.

Reform UK has outlined its proposals for West Sussex.

The party said it would ‘redirect £60m from net zero to roads & infrastructure’, adding: “We will review £60 million of unnecessary county net zero projects and redirect that investment to roads and the local infrastructure West Sussex residents actually depend on.”

On road maintenance, the party plans to ‘fix our roads for good’, with a commitment to ‘introduce a county programme of durable repairs’. This is to ‘tackle deteriorating roads and potholes’, along with regular verge cutting and routine cleaning of road signs.

Youth services also feature prominently, with Reform UK pledging to ‘re-establish funding’ for local youth activities through community grants, supporting clubs and groups that ‘keep young people safe and engaged’.

Addressing public spending, the party said it would deliver ‘better value for taxpayers’, adding: “We will cut spending on consultants and administration, direct funding to frontline services and improve transparency on how council money is used.”

Plans to tackle crime and disorder are included under ‘strengthen public protection’, stating: “We will expand enforcement and coordinate joint action with police against shoplifting, antisocial behaviour, scams and rogue traders.”

Reform also plans to ‘prioritise community needs’, with a commitment that: “We will ensure new housing developments fund roads, schools and infrastructure rather than placing unsustainable pressure on existing communities.”

A document shared by Reform UK - East Worthing & Shoreham on social media added: “We will improve transport links so towns and villages are better connected, including practical active travel routes where they genuinely support local journeys.

“We will support local economic growth by improving digital connectivity so businesses and residents across West Sussex can access reliable communications.”

Finally, Reform UK said it would ‘align training with local jobs’, stating: “We will support employment and skills by aligning training and courses with the needs of the local labour market so residents can move into quality local jobs.”

West Sussex County Council’s Reform UK group leader Gary Markwell said, on April 15, that it was a ‘pleasure to welcome Nigel Farage’ to the county.

The county councillor and Bersted parish councillor added: “We talked about the real pressures people are facing every day; from rising council tax and stretched local services, to the need to get a grip on overdevelopment and protect our communities.

“In West Sussex, that means standing up against unsustainable housing targets that ignore local infrastructure; fixing our roads and investing properly in highways; protecting frontline services while keeping council tax under control; getting serious about community safety and visible policing; ensuring local decisions are made by local people and not imposed from above.

"We also discussed the national issues that are hitting our area hard; the cost of living, pressure on public services, and the need for stronger, accountable leadership.

“West Sussex deserves better. It deserves a council that will stand up for residents, protect our communities, and deliver common-sense solutions.”