{"id":77575,"date":"2026-03-02T17:08:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T17:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sheffieldwire.co.uk\/?p=77575"},"modified":"2026-03-03T23:02:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T23:02:13","slug":"reform-in-sheffield-wading-through-concrete-or-revolutionising-local-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sheffieldwire.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/03\/02\/reform-in-sheffield-wading-through-concrete-or-revolutionising-local-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"Reform in Sheffield: “Wading through concrete” or revolutionising local politics?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Marching up her driveway, leaflet in hand, a Sheffield woman became an unlikely internet sensation last week after footage from her Ring doorbell camera was shared online. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The focus of her fury was Matt Smith, vice chair of Reform UK Sheffield West, who had been canvassing in the area when the woman confronted him. Social media users were quick to herald her as a \u201clegend\u201d, while others lambasted the woman for still being in her dressing gown at 2 o\u2019clock in the afternoon. But beyond the noise, the exchange appeared to reflect a wider tension within local politics, prompting observers to question whether, in challenging Mr Smith, the woman spoke for the rest of Sheffield, or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So just how popular is Reform with Sheffield residents?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year saw Sheffield appoint its first, and only, Reform councillor John Booker, after a snap election was called in Stocksbridge and Upper Don. Cllr Booker may have clinched the win by just 192 votes, but his success was viewed by many as a mere sign of things to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buoyed by its victory in the north of the city, Reform will be targeting wards across Sheffield ahead of the City Council election in May. Laura Moynahan, Labour councillor for Manor Castle, worries that, as residents continue to grapple with a cost-of-living crisis, many of them are simply looking for someone to blame. \u201cI think Reform is a real risk, we shouldn\u2019t underestimate the threat they pose,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve actually had people say about us building new houses in Manor: \u2018Oh, you\u2019re building those for the boat people.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further east, Woodhouse is another area where a shift towards the far-right does not feel implausible. At the Sheffield City Council election in 2024, Reform candidate Andrew Hizzard lost out to the Liberal Democrats by just 10 votes – and a trip into Market Square suggests that a win for Reform is not out of the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dave Franklin, a long-time resident of the area, reflects: \u201cWoodhouse has been under a Labour council for years and it has just degenerated, it\u2019s getting worse and worse. I\u2019ve been listening to Reform more than anything.\u201d Mr Franklin\u2019s dissatisfaction, fuelled by fears around the recent influx in immigration, was shared by numerous other locals, including one Mervyn Greaves. \u201cI\u2019ll be honest with you: I like Nigel Farage,\u201d says Mr Greaves. \u201cAsylum is a fantastic thing, but it\u2019s for people who do really need it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other residents, however, appeared much more reticent to express their full-throated support for Reform. While Joanne Smith agreed that Labour had let the area down, she appeared unsure of the party\u2019s central message. \u201cI don\u2019t really know what Reform\u2019s policies are,\u201d she says. \u201cThey just make a big thing about immigration and I don\u2019t have any thoughts on it.\u201d Richard Taylor, who has lived in Woodhouse for well over a decade, was quick to echo Ms Smith\u2019s confusion. \u201cAll Reform keeps saying is \u2018Deportation!\u2019,\u201d he says. \u201cBut they\u2019re not saying what they\u2019re going to do about education, housing, or potholes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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