Reform UK Crawley on BBC Politics South East

Cllr Tim Charters, WSCC Councillor and CBC Councillor, for Reform UK Crawley appeared on BBC Politics South East on Sunday (13 September 2026) with Conservative, Green and Labour representatives to discuss solar farms and the decline of the Saturday job. The starting point in the world of work for a lot of us.

We know we have a problem in the UK with over-regulation and sky high taxes. The highest seen in decades. There is little incentive for employers to prioritise hiring 16- and 17-year-olds into weekend/entry-level roles. If anything, there is a long list of disincentives.

Tim makes the clear point, in line with recent announcements from the Reform UK Conference 2026, that we must remove or reduce the disincentives. Enable businesses to offer that first rung again and back real apprenticeships, not just share slogans.

As for the solar panel drive, it is very clear that productive farmland should grow food, not host industrial solar. Put panels on roofs, car parks, and warehouses. We need to ensure our food security. This is just common sense.

On the sofa, the Labour and Green voices leaned into more regulation and more dependence on imported green kit, pushing greater reliance on other countries (such as China where most of the hardware is made) whilst simultaneously bemoaning the reliance of another country and strategical locations (such as the Strait of Hormuz for oil). There is no critical thought in their processing. This is not how you protect local jobs, keep energy affordable, or manage national risk.

Lord Craig MacKinlay, for the Conservatives, sounded like a normal conservative and clearly would do well with Reform. Too many Conservatives have drifted from actual conservatism. If you heard him and it resonated, then you are not alone — and in Crawley, Reform is where that case is being made every week with all our work.

National politics sets the frame. Local delivery decides who you trust. Reform UK Crawley will keep pressing for kitchen-table priorities: lower bills, land used sensibly, and a fair chance for young people to work. Unlike Labour and Greens who demonstrated they really do not understand how the real world works.

Watch the episode on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000dk0t/politics-south-east