News

The Queen is dead, the Queen is dead. The Great of Great Britain has drawn her last breath. We have lost our great Constant of our country. The effect of her death will resonant throughout the world, a lady that everyone loved and respected.

Queen Elizabeth II has been my Queen for all of my life, I have never known any other monarch during my lifetime. She has steered our country through many difficulties, as well as the good times. The sadness felt across the world is immense, people from all walks of life, from all types of background, such was her reach.

I did not realise how sad I would feel until Thursday when I heard the news. It has affected us all. We have lost a big part of our lives.

At this time we must remember that the Queen has a family and they will be mourning their loss. On behalf of Reform Derby we send them our condolences, at this, the saddest time.

I believe Queen Elizabeth II will become known as Queen Elizabeth the Great. She will be missed by millions of people around the world. Rest in Peace.

Alan Graves

You may not be aware but next year the council is changing its voting system. Instead of elections every year where one councillor is up for election the change will mean 3 councillors are up for election once every four years.

What comes with this change is a potential to change the ward boundaries, indeed some changes are necessary to balance up the number of electors in each ward. There have been some movements in certain wards.

Last year the whole council suggested and the majority voted on marginal changes to the wards balance them up and to keep 3 councillors per ward.

Unfortunately, the Labour party have seen this as an opportunity for them to gain more seats by introducing a proposal to split up certain areas in Derby. The main changes are in Alvaston, Chaddesden and Littleover where they could gain up to an extra 4-6 seats. This is classed as gerrymandering. The Boundary commission are obliged to consider these suggestions, however, they will take views from anyone in the city. Below is what I have submitted.

If you feel this is not acceptable please engage with the Boundary Commission by emailing them reviews@lgbce.org.uk and expressing your views.

Statement by Cllr Alan Graves leader of Reform Derby on Derby City Council

This statement is my personal view on the Local Government Boundary review

If I may refresh the last contribution my party put to you.

1. Number of councillors per ward – we agreed 3
2. Additional Wards – we agreed to keep to 17

Back in September Reform Derby replied to the document and made the points that all 4 parties Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Reform came to a consensus that we would keep to the prerequisite number of councillors per ward at three. There was a cross party meeting between the leaders of the each group and that was agreed by all of us.

You may recall that the other parties wanted to increase the number of councillors by a further 6, something we disagreed with and the Boundary Commission decided that 51 (the original number) was in fact just about right.

These new proposals seem to have come after all parties agreed to keeping to 3 member wards. Almost as if someone within the Labour hierarchy realised a potential to surreptitiously rearrange the basic ward structure to increase their numbers on the council. The two main areas that would suffer are Alvaston and Chaddesden. Polling data shows that there are polling areas that favour a Labour outcome. The current ward boundaries realise Reform as victors in Alvaston and the Conservatives as victors in Chaddesden.

It is therefore, quite clear that the Labour proposals have absolutely nothing to do with serving the people better. It is gerrymandering at the highest level.

The council on the other hand offered marginal improvements to the existing wards to better fit with population numbers. Up until the council meeting where this was agreed, The Labour group had shown signs of agreement. At this meeting they had changed their minds.

The Labour party hold just under a third of all seats and to make the changes they suggest would probably increase their seat numbers from 16 to 20+. It is obvious that their proposal is to gain political advantage.

I believe, and the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Reform, the council proposal is by far the most sensible suggestion and it keeps all wards to their 3 councillor wards. Something the Labour group agreed to originally.

I refer to the Reform Derby response to explain that the Labour proposal does not in fact bring together local communities any better than the council proposal.

Yours faithfully
Cllr Alan Graves – Leader of Reform Derby

Regards

Cllr Alan Graves

Reform Derby Leader

Change Derby Politics for Good through Reform

A big thank you from the Reform Derby Team to our supporters and voters! Reform Derby have made some great success this year. Councillor Alan Graves were re-elected in Alvaston Ward and Councillor Alan Lindley were elected to Boulton Ward. We could not have done it without you.

Reform Derby have made some great success this year. Councillor Alan Graves were re-elected in Alvaston Ward and Councillor Alan Lindley were elected to Boulton Ward.

Councillor Alan Graves said that he was pleased to have held both Alvaston and Boulton. Cllr. Graves said: “Labour threw the kitchen sink at trying to win these wards but we still emerged victorious. It’s because people in those areas can see we are doing a good job.”

The old mainstream parties have made ‘manifesto’ a dirty word. Everybody knows that a manifesto is little more than a set of vague promises that its authors have no intention of keeping. Just like when the Derby Conservatives promised to move to a committee system in their 2018 manifesto, then voted against it in 2020. We have issued a contract not a manifesto. All our candidates will fight for all the policies inside this document at every opportunity.

View our contract below:

Having issues viewing the contract, please click here to download.

Find your Reform Derby candidate below:

If you wish to view our contract (Policies) for the 2022 local election please click here.

See Reform Derby’s Leaflet below:

A Christmas message from Reform Derby

No increase in the number of Councillors in Derby; despite Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats voting to increase the number of Councillors in the city.

Reform Derby voted against increasing the number of Councillors. Watch Reform Derby Leader Cllr. Alan Graves on the matter below: