Lincoln's Reform UK candidate vows party will scrap RAF Scampton plans if elected

James Turner
·4-min read
Lincoln's Reform UK candidate Jamie-Lee McMillan
-Credit: (Image: LDRS)


The Reform UK candidate for Lincoln in the upcoming general election on July 4 - Jamie-Lee McMillan - says he is hoping to ride the wave of momentum his party has garnered over the past six months to become the city's next parliamentary representative. Reform UK has experienced what the Sleaford-raised 34-year-old described as a “quantum jump” in support, which increased even more after the controversial political figure Nigel Farage announced himself as the new leader.

Mr McMillan explained that he hadn’t had much experience running under Farage, but praised former leader Richard Tice’s “laid-back” approach to how candidates conduct themselves. He stressed that, unlike other parties, there is no party whip and members are encouraged to stand up for what they believe in.

While technically still an entrepreneurial political start-up, Jamie-Lee insists that Reform UK’s shift to a fully-fledged political party is already happening organically.“ All of the members who have joined the party, they’re all contributing into the party, even its direction of campaigns,” he explained.

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Mr McMillan later delved into Reform’s stance on immigration, highlighting its proposed one-in-one-out approach. “The party’s stance, which I agree with, is net zero.” He added: “Anyone who comes to this country and deliberately lied in order to stay, none of them should be allowed to stay here.”

However, Jamie-Lee also stressed that net-zero would not apply to those coming to the country who are nurses, doctors, or builders who could work on our roads. “I think the main thing which people get angry about immigration is the generosity put forward to them is being abused,” he added, pointing to the Conservative approach of housing asylum seekers in hotels along the coast.

Earlier this week, party leader Nigel Farage claimed that a vote for the Conservatives is now a wasted vote after a poll showed Reform edging ahead of them, a sentiment Jamie-Lee agreed with, again pointing to the wave of support he’s received since announcing his candidacy.

“Now listen, I’m not as much in stock with relying everything on polling, but I haven’t had one negative communication with anyone,” he continued.

Jamie-Lee noted that one of the biggest concerns residents have contacted him about during his campaign is the state of various roads and pavements across the city. He highlighted how dangerous this is for both motorists and pedestrians, and how poor repairs have also ruined the city’s aesthetic.

Furthermore, he’s also received emails about the “hygiene” of some of the buildings in the city. Mr McMillan remarked: “A lot of the buildings look very dirty, very drab. It doesn’t really look good for us that the capital of Lincolnshire is in such a sorry-looking state.”

Highlighting the county’s reputation as the nation’s breadbasket and Reform UK’s pledge to cut government spending, the 34-year-old insisted that the money saved could be invested in relief for farmers. “There is no need to be putting solar panels on land which is for food when we have a lot of other areas in the country which could truly benefit,” he said.

The hopeful candidate also outlined that, should he be elected come July 4, he will work towards fulfilling Reform UK’s pledges of removing VAT from fuel duties and fixing all of the infrastructure in Lincolnshire with the money already allocated to the county.

After raising the ongoing cost of living crisis, Jamie-Lee noted that around 80 per cent of the emails he has received during the course of his campaign have been about the devaluation of the British pound. “Just as an example, in 1978 the same loaf of bread you can get today was 9p, and now it’s £1.40. That’s how much our currency has devalued and gotten worse over time.”

Jamie-Lee also shared his stance on the cancellation of the renowned Lincoln Christmas Market, which the City of Lincoln Council cancelled following overcrowding concerns in 2022 when around 320,000 people attended over four days. He believes the simple solution to the problem would be to move it to a new location.

“The Christmas market was at the top of the hill. By the way, the hill is there for a reason, because that’s where the castle is and it’s designed to stop a mass of people from being able to very easily get around that area for defence,” he said.

Furthermore, echoing similar promises from the Labour Party, Jamie-Lee vowed that if Reform gains a majority, they will also scrap the Home Office’s plans to house up to 800 asylum seekers at RAF Scampton, just outside of Lincoln.

Full list of general election candidates in the Lincoln constituency:

  • Karl McCartney (Conservative)

  • Hamish Falconer (Labour)

  • Clare Smalley (Liberal Democrat)

  • Sally Anne Horscroft (Green)

  • Jamie-Lee McMillan (Reform UK)

  • Linda Richardson (Workers Party)

  • Charles Shaw (The Liberal Party)

  • Craig Marshall (Social Democratic Party)

  • Laura Ashby (Independent)

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