‘Everyone should have the choice to vote Conservative’: Party to fight every seat in council elections

‘GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION’: Conservative candidate Frankie Williams with party leader Kemi Badenoch

By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor

Campaigning for the Conservative Party in Hull might seem like an uphill struggle these days, but Frankie Williams, chairman of Hull Conservatives, lacks nothing in enthusiasm.

The party has not had a representative on Hull City Council since John Fareham lost his seat in the Bricknell ward in the 2022 Local Elections.

Mr Williams, a 21-year-old student, will again try to change that when he stands, for the third time, in his home ward of Sutton in the city council elections next month. His party will field candidates in all 19 seats up for election to the authority on May 7, and for Mr Williams the important thing is to give people that choice.

He said: “Regardless of how Hull looks for the Conservatives everyone should still have the choice to vote for a Conservative so they don’t turn up and think I’m not going to vote or I’ll have to vote for someone I don’t want to.

“Success is having people out there campaigning for us. My belief is every voter should hear from other candidates. If I can have some interaction with people from Hull in any form that’s a win for me.”

Next month’s election could be one of the most consequential and unpredictable in the city’s recent history.

The Liberal Democrats, who have been in power at the Guildhall since 2022, go into the election with a majority of just one. They will be defending 11 seats and Labour eight.

‘RESIDENTS COME FIRST’: Frankie Williams litter-picking

But both those established parties, which have dominated city politics for the last quarter-century, are facing significant new challenges in the shape of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and Zack Polanski’s Green Party, both of which will contest every seat in Hull for the first time.

“It’s the most interesting election I’ve come across, it’s bizarre,” said Mr Williams. “We’ve never had the Greens and Reform [standing in all seats] and for the first time ever people can vote however they want.

“My argument is we are going to go into no overall control. If you suddenly elect a Conservative or Green, any other than the usual two [Lib Dem or Labour] that’s going to be what tips the balance.”

That volatility is reflected in what Mr Williams says he is picking up from residents in his own ward, where he is “out most days”.

“The Lib Dem vote in my ward has collapsed and people are going Green or Reform, according to my surveys,” he said. “The Greens standing gives Labour a shot at winning the ward back.

“Looking at predictions or what every party is saying, the Lib Dems and Labour are quite defensive at the moment so I think there will be a few accidental wins for each seat, a few accidental Labour wins. It’s weird, a lot of their vote [Labour] is holding up, which is odd. People in Hull who vote Labour vote Labour every single time. There was a lot of tactical voting last time around.”

Mr Williams said he hoped prospective Tory voters would ignore national politics and think about what Conservative councillors could achieve for them locally, citing Mr Fareham’s previous example.

‘WE’VE GOT NOTHING TO LOSE’: Frankie Williams, second left, on the campaign trail

He said: “I think we’ve shown when we’ve been in post, when we did have a councillor we always put residents first. It isn’t about the national party, it’s whatever’s best for the ward.

“John Fareham always put forward an alternative budget and what we can do for residents is the best way forward.

“In our eyes there’s nothing to lose. It’s about giving the community what they give us, the chance to represent them as candidates.”

However, he also said he was pleased with the progress the national party has made since Kemi Badenoch became leader in November 2024.

“I think it’s going in the right direction,” he said. “It’s taken a bit of time, as most new leaders do, but she’s moving forward and going with what’s right, regaining what we’ve lost over the last few years.

“People on the doorsteps are saying ‘You’ve got your act together’. Each week at PMQs [Prime Minister’s Questions] she’s just getting better, representing what people want to hear and want to ask.”

The deadline to register to vote is Monday, April 19.