A well-known Leverington shopkeeper and father-of-five has been selected by Reform UK to fight the forthcoming Roman Bank & Peckover by-election for Cambridgeshire County Council.
Chris Tirrell, who owns a popular local farm shop with his wife, will stand for the party in the county council contest on Thursday, 25 June.
The announcement was made as nominations officially opened for the by-election, which was triggered following the disqualification of former councillor Andy Osborn.
Mr Tirrell, whose two youngest daughters attend Leverington Primary School, said his decision to stand came from a desire to fight for local residents and challenge what he described as wasteful council spending.
“I feel honoured to stand as the Reform UK candidate to represent Roman Bank and Peckover,” he said.
“One of the key motivations that made me put myself forward to stand as a candidate was the level of monetary waste being haemorrhaged every single day by the council.
“The Conservatives held Roman Bank and Peckover for years and the lack of investment in facilities has been seen and felt acutely by long-standing residents like me.
“I am a father of five and my youngest two children attend the village school in Leverington. We have strong roots in our local community, and I want to push hard to represent Roman Bank and Peckover’s interests at county level.”
Reform UK North East Cambs branch chairman Elisabeth Sennitt Clough said the party wanted a candidate with genuine local ties and an understanding of Fenland life.
“As branch chair for Reform UK North East Cambs, I’m proud that we have selected a candidate who understands the realities of rural Fenland life,” she said.
“For me, selecting a longstanding local resident who is genuinely embedded in our community was paramount.
“Chris is an upstanding chap, and well-known in the community, as he and his wife own a local farm shop in Leverington.
“His two daughters attend Leverington Primary School, and he understands what priorities matter most to the people of Roman Bank & Peckover.”
The by-election was called after former Reform UK councillor Andy Osborn was disqualified from Cambridgeshire County Council following a conviction for breaching electoral law.
Osborn had been found guilty of posting a defamatory social media message about a Conservative candidate during an election campaign. He did not appeal the ruling within the required timeframe, resulting in his automatic disqualification and the creation of a vacant seat.
The Roman Bank & Peckover division covers communities including Leverington, Gorefield, Newton, Tydd St Giles and parts of Wisbech.
