Sarah Pochin, Reform’s first female MP, has already ruffled feathers in parliament. But what does she actually stand for, and where has she shot to power from?
Reform UK has made waves over the past year. Despite initially only gaining MPs in four constituencies, they received 14 per cent of the national vote – an impressive result for their first election.
After the suspension of Labour MP Mike Amesbury, Reform’s Sarah Pochin won the byelection by just six votes, the closest result in history, to gain the Nigel Farage led party another voice in Westminster.
A background in politics
Although her breakthrough into parliament only occurred last month, Sarah Pochin has been involved in politics since 2015. Previously a member of the Conservative Party, she acted as a councillor in Cheshire East council for eight years and stood to become an MP in Bolton South East in 2017, gaining 29.7 per cent of the vote, eventually losing out to Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi. After a tumultuous time in local government split between time as an independent and with the Conservatives, she eventually revolted to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in 2025.
Runcorn and Helsby: Sarah Pochin wins by six votes
Labour had held the seat of Runcorn and Helsby for more than 40 years, having been one of the party’s safest seats in the past. Even in 2024, Labour candidate Mike Amesbury received over 50 per cent of the vote.
When Amesbury resigned as an MP after being charged with assaulting one of his constituents, a by-election was called, opening the door for a new Reform battleground bound to grab headlines.
Local anger towards Labour’s decision to cut winter fuel payments and disability benefits gave Reform further fuel for their flame, and Sarah Pochin stormed ahead under the rhetoric that the region was ready for change, having had “enough Tory failure” and “enough Labour lies.”
On the day of the vote, she came out on top by the narrowest margin in history, six votes, a major blow to Starmer’s credibility and a much larger win for Reform than it appears on the surface, giving the party credibility in hard-fought electoral races.
Could her victory be overshadowed by yet more Reform controversy?
Reform UK have not been strangers to controversy. From accusations of bullying against Rupert Lowe, to James McMurdock’s jailtime for assault in 2006, the party has gained a reputation for insufficient vetting and a disregard for violent and intimidating behaviour in their candidates.
Reform’s newest MP is no different. For 20 years, Sarah Pochin served as a magistrate in Cheshire, and during this time was accused of using her status to “influence the views of her colleagues in a political context.”
A Reform spokesperson has since defended their newest MP, claiming that the misconduct revealed to the public was, “used by the Conservative Party as a politically motivated attack.” The Conservatives have refused to comment.
Pochin’s ideologies and further division in the party
Like the other Reform MPs, Pochin has recently expressed discontent with the UK’s current approach to immigration.
Although net migration has decreased by almost 50 per cent since Labour took power in July 2024, the narrative remains in the hands of the parties on the right, with the government’s record on immigration constantly under scrutiny from the Conservatives and Reform.
In her constituency, Sarah Pochin has claimed that illegal immigration is a serious concern, with residents claiming to be terrified to leave their homes.
But Reform’s fifth MP made the headlines again when images surfaced showing her attending a “refugees welcome” event in 2022. She has since said that her support was for asylum seekers only, and not those classed as “illegal,” migrants – since joining, she has consistently echoed Reform’s official anti-immigration stance.
In addition, the recent vote on assisted dying exacerbated the contrasting views of the party. While Sarah Pochin and Richard Tice voted in favour of the bill, the party’s other three MPs voted against it, highlighting their individual views.
Assisted dying was not mentioned in their 2024 manifesto, so whilst neither Pochin nor Tice opposed official party policy, this does show that the party remains divided on a range of issues.
Another high profile case came when Pochin, voting alongside the rest of the party – other than Farage, who was not present – voted against the decriminalisation of abortion in England and Wales, and instead suggested that the window for abortion should be reduced.
Again, there is no mention of abortion in Reform’s manifesto, although Farage has expressed similar views that whilst he is pro-choice, he believes that the 24-week limit is “ludicrous”.
Despite being an MP for less than two months, Sarah Pochin has already started her own controversy, asking at PMQ’s if Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans on banning the burqa for the sake of “public safety.”
The question was welcomed by Reform MP Lee Anderson, who expressed his support for a ban on Twitter, but others in the party, including, chairman Zia Yusuf disaproved with the contentious question, with Yusuf calling the request “dumb,” and resigning just hours after the question was asked.
Two days later, Yusuf returned to work for the party after discussions with Farage, in a new role leading the party’s DOGE team modeled on the Department of Government Efficiency set up by US President Donald Trump.
Upon returning to the party, he said he would support further debates surrounding a ban on the burqa, despite his reluctance days earlier, with Nigel Farage claiming that Yusuf’s decision to step away from leadership was made off the back of racist abuse directed towards him, blaming bots for the racism he received and claiming that it was not the fault of Reform members.
Final thought
Sarah Pochin has made a name for herself in the Reform party. Despite a controversy heavy past and uncertain commitment to Reform policies, her most recent speeches and actions have reflected some of Reforms core principles, with a focus on immigration and conservative social policies.
The fate of the party is currently unclear – their consistent division may be an issue for future elections, however with increasing discontent for both the government and the Conservative party, voters seem to want change.
Whilst we are four years away from the next general election, Reform UK are increasingly shaping the narrative amid a political vacuum, Sarah Pochin’s victory marks another milestone in the party’s journey.
Featured image via ComposedPix / Shutterstock (Left) and HM Government (Right).
