'Reform not on your side' says Durham Miners' Association

In a blistering statement issued just days before people in Durham head to the polls in local council elections, the organisers of the annual Miners' Gala said that people in former mining villages and towns in the county should think twice before voting for Mr Farage's party - comparing the Clacton MP to Margaret Thatcher.

Mr Farage is targeting Durham, with the leader visiting the county multiple times during the course of the campaign.

But, the DMA has warned that the party is not the answer to the 'disappointment' of Labour which has been felt by people in the region saying, "There are many within our communities who feel disaffected and abandoned by the current Labour Government.

(Image: The Northern Echo) "We at the DMA understand your disappointment.

"Some people are considering voting for Reform UK as a solution to the many problems faced by constituents within our proud communities.

"The message from the DMA is simple –  look at the track record of the leader of Reform UK. It does not make pleasant reading for workers."

It lists votes in Parliament that Mr Farage's party have undertaken, pointing out they voted against the Employment Rights Bill. The DMA also argues Reform would privatise the NHS, something the party has denied.

(Image: Redhills) "So effectively, if you vote for Reform UK, you are voting for an old Tory posh boy millionaire who was fine with throwing miners on the dole, closing pits and destroying our communities," the statement goes on to say.

Writing in The Northern Echo earlier in the campaign, Mr Farage said: "Durham Council, and in fact every council across the country, have been run into the ground by Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem administrations.

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"These local authorities, responsible for the day-to-day administration of basic necessities that all of us rely on, are fundamentally and institutionally broken."

He added: "In Reform UK you finally have an alternative you can vote for that will do things differently, cut the waste and get your public services in order."

Reform UK did not respond to a request for comment on the DMA statement.