The local branch of England’s Green Party has attacked Reform UK for presenting pledges that are unlikely to materialise in an attempt to attract support as the electoral contest intensifies. Party supporters claim they would view it as highly worrying should Reform UK achieve dominant control of Coventry City Council. Fresh estimates from Pollcheck indicate Reform is expected to pick up 19 additional seats when voting takes place on May 7, bringing their total to 21. Labour is anticipated to shed 15 seats, reducing their count to 24. To secure complete authority over the council, a party requires at least 28 of the 54 contested seats, meaning over half the total. The race appears tight at present, though it essentially comes down to a contest between Labour and Reform UK, with Labour currently appearing likely to secure a narrow overall majority. However, Pollcheck reports an 86 percent probability of a shift in control at the council. The Greens, meanwhile, are projected to finish with two additional seats, according to this updated estimate, despite an earlier prediction suggesting they would gain four more. Coventry’s Green Party claims it anticipates seat gains in the local ballot and feels optimistic about potential outcomes following their victories in by-elections held in Kent, a traditional Reform stronghold, and another in Gorking and Denton. Nevertheless, the party has concerns about the rising appeal of Reform UK both within Coventry and across the country. Councillor Esther Reeves, who represents Holbrook and is standing as one of three Green candidates for this area in the local election, argues that Reform is putting forward policy commitments that would simply be unattainable should they assume power. Councillor Reeves, who leads the Green and Independent Alliance on Coventry City Council, stated that when looking at other councils where Reform UK holds control, with the nearest example being Warwickshire, she would have concerns. She noted that their flagship councils, including Kent and Warwickshire among others, have not performed particularly well, have not covered themselves in credit thus far, and numerous worries have been expressed about them. She also stated that they have not delivered on their stated intentions, such as reducing council tax, because that was never feasible to begin with. She added that they campaigned on promises that could not be fulfilled, and additionally, there has been considerable internal conflict, which does not assist effective council management. Reform has put forward three candidates for each of the 54 available seats in Coventry, spanning the city’s 18 wards. The party currently holds two council seats, held by Jackie Gardiner in Sherbourne ward and Marcus Lapsa in Westwood, both of whom switched from the Conservative Party in June 2025. Forecasts suggest Reform UK will capture all three seats in Sherbourne, Bablake, Binley and Willenhall, and Tile Hill and Canley (previously Westwood and now renamed under the revised ward boundaries), along with two seats each in Woodlands, Cheylesmore, and Wyken, and one seat each in Earlsdon, Whoberley, and Henley. The candidate receiving the highest vote tally in each ward will serve as a councillor for four years. The second-placed candidate will hold a council seat for two years, while the individual finishing third will remain in position for just one year before the standard election cycle recommences in May 2027.
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