Nigel Farage has suggested Westminster is set to be “surprised” at how well Reform performs in the West Country’s local elections this May. He revealed a new strategy that he believes will help Reform UK ‘sneak through the middle’ and hoover up lots of seats in the area traditionally seen as a Tory-LibDem battle ground.

Mr Farage was speaking in Exeter this afternoon on a morale-boosting visit to see his Devonshire candidates. Reform is hoping for a major breakthrough at the local elections, and while attention is one more fertile Farage territory such as Doncaster and Lincolnshire, he believes he can put on a strong showing in places like the West Country. Speaking to nearly 50 Reform candidates at the Sandy Park stadium in Exeter, Mr Farage thanked them for “putting your heads of the parapet”.

He warned the Tories that Devon County Council’s decision to go “completely woke” and focus on climate change and diversity over filling potholes is driving support for his party in the region.

He explained: “It is disgraceful and it's why perhaps we might do rather better [in the local elections] than anybody thinks.”

While the LibDems are the main threat to the Tories in Devon and Cornwall, Mr Farage explained that the rise in support for Sir Ed Davey’s party could be a major help for Reform UK.

He outlined: “The Lib Dems are the big challenge here. They're very, very good at building up their local activist base. They're very good at putting leaflets through doors.

“Many of those seats that the Conservatives have held here consistently over the last 20 years, their vote share is going to be significantly down.

“The Lib Dem vote share in those areas is going to be up. And therefore, for us to come through the middle, and to win those seats, you'd be surprised.”

Responding to one candidate who explained she had been accused of representing a “racist” party when out campaigning, Mr Farage reassured her: “You go down the local pub or wherever you go, and you chat to people about the sort of policy positions that we stand for, and you will find there is a silent majority that agrees with us.”

“All you've got to do is find those that are inclined to feel our way, and persuade them to go and vote on the day because we are genuinely the agents for change.”

The local elections are expected to be a bloodbath for the Tories, after the seats were last fought in 2021 during the high watermark of support for Boris Johnson.

Recent polls have suggested a three-way tie for Labour, Reform and the Conservatives, all on around 22-24%.

However the LibDems have also been growing in support, and are not far behind on 17%.

One MRP poll last month suggests the Tories will lose over half of the councillors up for grabs this May, down from 1,420 in 2021 to just 548.

Labour could also lose around 90 councillors, through from a far lower base of just 341 incumbents.

Meanwhile the Electoral Calculus/Telegraph poll suggests Nigel Farage could storm ahead and take 474 councillors.