Election candidate tells Great Yarmouth: 'Don't vote for me'

Catherine Blaiklock, who is standing as an English Democrat candidate in Great Yarmouth, made the post on X (formerly Twitter) this week.

Instead, she urged voters to support Reform's candidate Rupert Lowe - just days after she fiercely criticised his selection. 

In the post, Ms Blaiklock said: "Vote Reform, do not vote for me.

"DO NOT VOTE FOR ME in Great Yarmouth. Vote for Rupert Lowe."

Catherine Blaiklock in 2017, when she ran as a UKIP candidate for Great Yarmouth at that year's General Election (Image: Newsquest)

Last week, Ms Blaiklock claimed that Nigel Farage - the Reform leader - had betrayed a promise he made to support her standing in the town in return for giving up her shares in the Brexit Party, now called Reform.

Ms Blaiklock, a former UKIP candidate, formed the Brexit Party in 2019 but resigned as leader just two months later following the revelation she had made a series of inflammatory tweets about Islam, which Mr Farage described as "horrible and intolerant".

READ MORE: New poll suggests Tory wipe-out at election

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform (Image: PA)

Last week, she criticised Mr Lowe's selection, arguing he had little knowledge of Yarmouth and the issues affecting people in the constituency.

Explaining her radical switch in opinion, Ms Blaiklock said: "I am telling people to vote for Rupert. He is a good guy and the differences between us are not that great.

"It is due to the polls - things have changed completely. It's very close."

Catherine Blaiklock when she ran as a UKIP candidate in Great Yarmouth in 2019 (Image: Archant)

Reform has seen a surge of support in the past week and recent polls have predicted the party could beat Labour's Yarmouth candidate Keir Cozens at the election. 

Ms Blaiklock made further incendiary comments in her post, stating: "[Reform] is all we have between us and an Islamic state. Remember the blood-curdling screams of those who have had their throats cut by Islamists."