Reform UK candidate John Burmicz is hoping some of his new leader Nigel Farage’s magic will rub off in Hertford and Stortford.
The former Sawbridgeworth town councillor and mayor welcomed the ex-UK Independence Party (UKIP) chief’s decision to stand in Clacton - despite earlier assurances that the GB News presenter was not planning a Westminister run.
Dr Burmicz said: “On a personal level, I hope that some of his magic will rub off on us here in Hertford and Stortford. We need a real change. People, you just have to tick the box!”
Mr Farage has previously attempted to join the House of Commons on seven occasions without success.
However, he was a member of the European Parliament for the South East of England from 1999 until 2020 when the UK left the European Union.
Seen by many as an architect of the Brexit vote in 2016, he stood down from UKIP in 2018 before launching the Brexit Party in 2019. He has been honorary president of Reform UK since 2021.
Clacton voted heavily to leave the EU and in 2014 Douglas Carswell, who had held the seat for the Conservatives since 2010, defected to UKIP and won a by-election in 2014 before retaining the seat for UKIP in 2015.
Conservative Giles Watling won the seat back in 2017, forcing UKIP into third place behind Labour. He held the seat in 2019, with Labour second again, and is standing once more on July 4.
Mr Farage replaces Tony Mack as Reform UK’s candidate in Clacton and Richard Tice as the organisation’s leader.
Dr Burmicz said: “I have met Nigel and Richard and I always thought that there was this ‘under the wraps’ understanding between the two of them: this in a positive sense in that they are very much on the same wavelength.
“They are both really direct and honest people and we could not wish for a better, inspirational team.
I am really happy, but not too surprised, therefore, at the announcement.
“We need people who tell it as it is. This great country of ours has been sold up the Suwannee for too long now.
“We need a real change and not just words. This election will be about (illegal) immigration - taking real control of our borders; taxation – eliminating fiscal drag; dumping Net Zero; and the cost of living, which by the way is a crisis all over Europe, which curiously never seems to be reported.
“I know that Nigel is popular in Clacton and he has had some great groundwork done by Tony Mack. I think that this will be a great team result for us.”
Nominations for General Election candidates close on Friday, June 7. So far, the contenders for the Hertford and Stortford seat are (in alphabetical order of surname): John Burmicz – Reform UK; Helen Campbell – Liberal Democrats; Nicholas Cox – Green Party; Josh Dean – Labour; Julie Marson – Conservative.
So far the contenders for the Clacton seat are (in alphabetical order of surname): Matthew Bensilum \- Liberal Democrats; Nigel Farage \- Reform UK; Natasha Osben \- Green Party; Jovan Owusu-Nepaul \- Labour; Giles Watling \- Conservative.