Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party has begun advertising for a candidate to contest Croydon’s mayoral elections in May 2025, signalling its local ambitions.
This week, the recruitment ad was distributed. Reform is searching for a successor after selecting a Yorkshire woman who had been deceased for six months as their candidate for mayor of Croydon at the beginning of this year.
Former and current Reform members say that despite the hours of media time devoted to Farage, his lies, and his dog-whistle politics, Reform in south London is in a bit of a feverish mess.
According to the most recent opinion surveys and a recent success in the Bromley council by-election, Reform may pose a serious threat to Croydon’s political establishment in May 2026. If only they would put aside their quarrels for five minutes before separating to attend the newest party with a Tommy Robinson theme.
Their informants, some of whom left Reform out of disgust, appear to be genuinely shocked that the party is a sanctuary for racists, rednecks, and right-wingers. One source claimed that although she remained with Reform during the General Election, she frequently heard racist statements made by local members and voters, including references to prominent Reform politicians Christina Jordan and Ben Habib.
Habib, a former MEP for the Brexit Party from Karachi and co-deputy leader of Reform, split from Farage last year and started his own party, Advance. In addition to admitting serial killer Stephen Yaxley-Lennon as a member, Advance has gained Elon Musk’s public support.
Members and former members of Croydon Reform report a local party that is hardly present in any recognizable, structured form.
Reform in Croydon and Sutton is coordinated collectively, according to sources, because “the WEF uniparty is so powerful.” That alludes to the delusional belief that Rowenna Davis and Jason Perry are somehow working with the World Economic Forum.
Less than 1,000 people are reportedly involved in local reform in the Croydon and Sutton constituencies. The Sir Julian Huxley, a bar in Selsdon known as “Spoons,” is the venue for party gatherings. They had their conference to choose a candidate for the 2024 parliament there.
Carby’s social media timeline is filled with the kind of twisted, racist hate speech that aims to blame others for the nation’s problems. Carby had a fondness for Tommy Robison.
She is described as a “Brexiteer” on her profile. nationalist who are anti-woke. anti-WEF. Christian conservative. Reformer. The later letters allude to the orange man-child who lives in the White House. “Love Farage, Tommy, and DJT.”
Those who suggested that Carby’s death would be a challenge for them in the 2026 elections were reprimanded and told to keep quiet during the Reform Croydon “selection” meeting. Some of the older members in the meeting had consumed alcohol, and they started acting aggressively.
“When I phoned HQ, they claimed to have no knowledge of me at all,”
our source said. After years as a member of the Brexit Party and then Reform, this member quit Farage’s party over what they described as “the absolutely chaotic candidate selection in Croydon”.
Carby was “parachuted in” by headquarters, according to a local Reform member who informed that she was from Yorkshire and had been handing leaflets out for the Brexit Party and Reform UK since 2019.
Carby may have been a potential 2024 parliamentary candidate for Bradford South, but “quietly declined due to her ill-health,” according to the report. At least Reform HQ was aware that Carby wasn’t feeling well.
David Carby, Carby’s widower, has been managing her Twitter account for the past year.
According to her spouse, Sharon Carby passed away on July 27, 2024.
Reform Additionally, UK HQ has not replied to our emails.
In late 2024, the Conservatives selected their candidate for mayor of Croydon. Earlier in 2025, candidates were named by the Greens, LibDems, and Labour. Reform UK is currently only seeking a candidate.
You might wish to have a look at the party’s advertisement if you’re interested in running for mayor of Croydon as a replacement for a deceased woman.
“No prior political experience is necessary, but you must be talented, have a track record solving problems in the real world and be deeply patriotic. Most of all you must have a huge passion for improving the lives of the people of Croydon.”
Apparently, “the best candidates will be invited to further rounds”, presumably referring to strong, foreign lager, drunk at a convenient branch of ‘Spoons, to be followed by an interview panel of local members.
“The successful candidate will be supported with comprehensive training from the Reform Centre of Excellence.”
Although Reform’s “Centre for Excellence” appears to stop short of bringing dead candidates back to life.
How might this selection error affect Reform UK’s Croydon campaign?
The mistake has created an impression of chaos within the party, which may discourage voters from trusting that they can field serious candidates or function as a government. Reports show that local members are extremely unhappy and disgusted by candidate selection chaos and are causing more fractures and attrition within the party.
The media coverage has not only exposed the party to ridicule and criticism by drawing attention to an unknown party’s incoherence, it has eroded public trust in the party’s capabilities. The need to find and support a substitute candidate late in an election will put Reform UK in an unfavourable strategic position compared to other parties and their campaigns.
If a party is unable to manage simple administrative activities internally, voters may question whether they are prepared and able to deal with issues in the local area.