Today, the results of local elections for councillors and mayoral candidates are filtering through. In a daunting new development, Reform have had the most success of any party. They’ve gained 80 new councillors so far (up from 0), while the Conservatives have lost 62 – currently standing at 37 – and Labour have lost 14, now standing at 11. The only other party to make a gain so far is theLiberal Democrats, with two extra councillors.
One of Reforms winning MPs is Sarah Pochin, who was just elected to Runcorn and Helsby by just six votes, pushing out Labour. Pochin is the first ever female MP for Reform, now their fifth MP in general, and the swing represents a devastating loss for Labour who previously had a stronghold on the region.
But who is Sarah Pochin and what are her politics? Here’s everything to know about the new MP.
Who is Sarah Pochin?
Born in Monmouth, Wales, Pochin is a 55-year-old businesswoman who was privately educated at Haberdashers Monmouth School for Girls and went on to study Banking and Finance at Loughborough University – moving to Cheshire where she has lived for 30 years.
As a politician, she previously represented the Conservative party as councillor – and later became mayor for Cheshire East. She worked as a magistrate for two decades before running as a Tory councillor, serving as a Justice of the Peace. However, in 2018 she was by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) for misconduct during her tenure as a magistrate.
The JCIO found that Pochin used her judicial position to influence colleagues' views in a political context and breached confidentiality by publicising a complaint against her, stating she ‘fell below the standards expected of a magistrate.’
Pochin had previously insisted in interviews that she is a ‘clean candidate’, but nevertheless when Reform backed her in the local elections they also came to her defence regarding the reprimand.
‘This matter had nothing to do with Sarah Pochin’s conduct as Presiding Justice in Court,’ Reform UK told The Independent in a statement. ‘The comment [on the complaint] was made in a private meeting and was used by the Conservative Party as a politically motivated attack. No further action was taken. Sarah went on to serve a further seven years with great distinction as a magistrate in the Chester and Crewe courts. In March this year she honourably resigned as a Presiding Justice to campaign in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election and was thanked for her past service to the Magistracy. This speaks for itself.’
Why did Sarah Pochin switch from Conservatives to Reform?
In 2020, Pochin was expelled from the Cheshire East Conservative Group after she accepted the position of Mayor of Cheshire East. According to Nantwich News, she was voted in by the ruling Labour-Independent group on Cheshire East Council, who had rejected the Conservative Mayor-elect Cllr Steven Edgar, which caused political tension between her and her colleagues.
‘On Monday 9th March, the Cheshire East Conservative Group met to discuss the future of Cllr Sarah Pochin (Bunbury Ward) following her suspension from the Group on 22nd February,’ a statement by the Cheshire East Conservative Group read. ‘The meeting was overseen by an independent chair and observed by independent representatives of the national Party. The Group unanimously voted in confirmation that Cllr Pochin had breached the Conservative Group Rules. Following further debate, the majority of the Group voted to expel Cllr Pochin from the Conservative Group for the duration of the current Council period, in compliance with Group Rules.’
Following her expulsion, Pochin continued to serve as mayor as an independent member of the council. In 2022, she rejoined the Conservative Party in order to vote in the leadership election that saw Boris Johnson ousted from the party. Due to this, she was suspended from the Cheshire East Independent Group too.
Earlier this year, Pochin was announced as Reform’s candidate for Runcorn and Helsby, after serving MP Mike Amesbury resigned following a physical altercation with a constituent that led to him getting an assault conviction.
What are Sarah Pochin’s politics?
Pochin’s focus in trying to win over voters was on ‘British pride’, investing in ‘family’, and community. ‘I feel that Reform UK represents my values,’ she said in a video message. Reform UK’s website lists their intentions as ‘standing up for British culture, identity and values.’
‘We will freeze immigration and stop the boats,’ it writes. ‘Restore law and order. Repair our broken public services. Cut taxes to make work pay. End government waste. Slash energy bills. Unlock real economic growth. Only Reform will take back control over our borders, our money and our laws.’
In their policy documents, Reform claims it will ‘scrap all diversity, equality and inclusion roles and regulations’ in police, will change the definition of a hate crime so that ‘members of the British public must not be investigated because “any” personal “perceives” that a hate crime has been committed’ and ‘cut funding to universities that undermine free speech’. They also say they will ‘ban transgender ideology in primary and secondary schools’, make the school curriculum ‘patriotic’ and ‘leave the European Convention on Human Rights’. In the entire 28-page document, they do not mention violence against women and girls once, nor the gender pay gap, or abortion protections, or childcare reform.
Pochin claims she is ‘incredibly proud to be British’. ‘Community is about what we see every day,’ she continues in her video message. ‘There’s all these huge issues going on around the world but when we step outside our doors in the morning it’s about our neighbours, our clean streets, it’s about the environment in which we live. Young people today should be proud to be British.’