Defeated Harlow Tory says failure on key issues pushed people to Reform

The defeated Tory candidate for Harlow says people moved to Reform after feeling frustrated they had “not done enough to tackle” issues such as tax, immigration, law and order. Hannah Ellis, for the Tories, polled 13,809 votes, around 2,500 fewer than victorious Labour’s Chris Vince.

However, it was Reform UK’s strong showing - taking 9,461 votes - that was among the big takeaways of the night. She added the next leader needed to focus more heavily on the concerns being brought up at the doorstep.

She said: “We need to listen to people - the things that people cared about tax, immigration, law and order - those are the things I care about and was one of the reasons why I was standing to represent that. I think the next leader of the Conservative party needs to be focusing on those things.”

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And she added the rise of Reform had to be addressed head-on. She added: "Those were the main issues that were coming up on the doorstep when I was speaking to voters and I think people understandably felt frustrated that we have not done enough to tackle them and they went with another option which was Reform UK.

“We are not going to have a chance to prove ourselves now there is a Labour Government but it is very much what I stand for and I will be working locally to convey that message and hope that people will understand I do share their values and I am the best person to fight for them in parliament.”

She added she would continue campaigning and was hopeful of fighting for the seat in five years. She said: "There is a lot for us to think about as a party and I knew that when I stood and it was one of the reasons I put myself forward - because I knew there was a lot of work to do and I wanted to be part of rebuilding that after the general election.

“But unfortunately it has not worked out that way here but I very much care about Harlow and the villages - this is where I live, where I was born and brought up. And I fully intend to stick around and fight it next time.”