General · 18 February 2026
Reform UK wins seven seats in east Durham villages
Reform UK won seven out of eight seats in east Durham's mining villages during the council elections last May. This shift occurred as Horden faces child poverty rates twice the national level and a population that has halved. Teachers at Cotsford Primary School report keeping pupils inside to avoid cannabis fumes from surrounding empty properties. Official figures show the region has grown poorer since residents voted for Brexit nearly ten years ago.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs