Reform UK has unveiled its candidate for the upcoming Cheshire West and Chester by-election.

Six candidates will be contesting a seat in Strawberry ward in Ellesmere Port on Thursday, October 2, after a vote was triggered when Labour's Gareth Gould stepped down citing health reasons.

Reform UK's candidate has been revealed as Jason Moorcroft, who stood in Runcorn and Helsby for Nigel Farage's party in the 2024 general election.

Having served as a Frodsham Parish Councillor and on the Cheshire Association of Local Councils, he said he believes he has the 'experience and knowledge' needed for the role.

He has also taken aim at a decision to hold a Full Council meeting over devolution recently even though Strawberry ward did not have a councillor due to the pending by-election, although council leadership defended the move – with a total of five other councillors absent on the night for various reasons.

But the decision to hold the vote prompted a walkout from opposition councillors, including those belonging to Reform UK.

Mr Moorcroft said: "It's very clear on a local level that we are being let down by Labour. We didn't have a say on a proposed mayoral devolution because we had no councillor."

Born in Chester and an IT professional by trade, he also raised concerns over the council's local plan – a planning strategy which all councils must adopt and which informs what can and can not be built, and where. The final local plan has yet to be decided pending consultations and votes, with it not set to be adopted until summer/autumn 2027.

He added: "Our local plan consultation could result in yet more development near Ellesmere Port and more potential HMOs in Strawberry. There are countless overgrown hedges and the state of our roads are unsafe."

He added: "This isn't good enough. Serious questions need answering about how our Council Tax is spent, and it's time the Labour council administration is held to account."

A full list of candidates can be found here.

Residents in the ward will require photo ID to cast their vote. A list of acceptable forms of ID can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need