Actor-turned-Reclaim Party leader Laurence Fox expressed contentment with the election outcome despite losing his deposit in the Uxbridge by-election.
The Liberal Democrats were defeated, and Fox secured 714 votes in the critical poll, with the Tories retaining their position due to Sadiq Khan’s contentious ULEZ expansion. Tory candidate Steve Tuckwell held on with a reduced majority of 495 compared to Boris Johnson’s 2019 victory of 7,210.
During the vote count, Mr. Fox, supported by former Tory Andrew Bridgen, criticised the BBC for refusing to interview him, even in the event of a victory. Despite obtaining only 2.31 percent of the vote, Fox considered the night a success for his party. He aimed to surpass the Greens but fell short by 179 votes.
In his statement, Mr. Fox expressed his satisfaction, highlighting the importance of promoting conservative values to secure a place in the political landscape. He congratulated Steve Tuckwell and thanked everyone for their courage in standing for election. In a light-hearted tone, he mentioned taking a nap after the event.
Later, on social media, Mr. Fox expressed his disappointment with the BBC, comparing its reliability to North Korean state media. He claimed that the broadcaster refused to interview him without providing any reason for the decision. Reclaim Party MP Andrew Bridgen echoed the sentiment, stating that the party’s views go against the mainstream narrative, necessitating the reclaiming of democracy.
Overall, despite losing the deposit, Laurence Fox and the Reclaim Party considered the election a success in terms of promoting their conservative values and achieving a notable position in the polls.
Labour has blamed the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) scheme for their by-election defeat in Boris Johnson’s former seat, with shadow justice secretary Steve Reed insisting those responsible for the policy will now need to “reflect”.
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