The seaside town Reform calls ‘the worst in the UK’ – which could still back Farage

“This is the worst ward anywhere in the whole country. After 9, 10 o’clock, this is the Bronx. You cannot walk down the street here,” says Reform UK’s Mark Butcher while standing in the Claremont area of Blackpool. His comparison with the infamous New York neighbourhood is intended to suggest Claremont, which includes a large part of Blackpool town centre, is riddled with crime, arson and poverty. As political campaigning goes, it is perhaps not what you would expect from a candidate keen to win over local voters.