Amelia Jones, the Reform UK candidate, is validly nominated for a seat on Shrewsbury Town Council in the Battlefield ward. The poll is on Thursday, 3 December 2026, according to Shropshire Council’s notice of election. On the official statement of persons nominated, dated 9 November and signed by returning officer Tanya Miles, Jones is one of six candidates. The seat opened after Harry Hancock-Davies, also of Reform UK, resigned. On 14 November the Shropshire Star reported that older Facebook comments from this year, since deleted, have been attributed to her.

The paper quotes a comment it attributes to her: “Hitler started this way, stopping free speech. But Starmer does not have Hitler’s charisma or cunning.” The Shropshire Star calls Sir Keir Starmer a former prime minister. Jones did not answer a request for comment, and the paper presents the lines as attributed, not as something she has confirmed.

Another comment, also attributed to her and filed by the paper under immigration, reads: “It should concern us all that we allow barbarians into the country who have not followed the proper procedure for entry. If people want to come here or leave, they need to do it properly. I have to use ports and airports. We cannot financially support these people nor can our infrastructure support the hundreds of thousands of houses being put up countrywide for them. Our council tax should not be used to fund them. It causes councils to fail.”

On Ryan Bridge, founder of Raise the Colours, the attributed comment says: “Ryan is a great fella. Takes a lot of flack but stands up for what many of us believe in. I’m proud to be a supporter of Raise the Flags and Raise the Colours. This is my opinion.” The paper says Bridge pleaded not guilty this month to charges of racially aggravated harassment, threatening behaviour and assault.

A spokesperson for Reform UK’s Shrewsbury branch replied: “What do Shrewsbury residents care about more: old Facebook comments, or the Lib Dems hiking their Shropshire Council tax by 8.99 per cent and their town council tax by 97.9 per cent?” The percentages are the branch’s wording, not a figure checked separately.

Liberal Democrat councillor Alex Wagner, campaign manager for Kate Fejfer, said: “Did Reform not bother checking her social media, or did they know and simply not care? If they can’t even vet their candidates properly, how on earth could they be trusted to run Shrewsbury?” He added that Fejfer has spent years working for the community, and that Battlefield deserves a hard-working councillor, not someone who sees the office as a platform for extremist views.

After she was selected, Jones said her priorities are litter, street cleaning, kerbside management, and the traffic and infrastructure problems that residents say leave Battlefield gridlocked. The 9 November list also names Elise Addams (Green Party), Darren Neil Crofts (independent), Kate Fejfer (Liberal Democrats), Esther Smith (Labour) and Becky Wall (Conservative).

Image: Wikimedia Commons — the River Severn and Castle Bridge, Shrewsbury (TCExplorer, CC BY-SA 2.0). The photo is not from the by-election campaign.

Sources consulted: Shrewsbury Reform candidate accused over a Starmer and Hitler comment — Shropshire Star; Statement of persons nominated, Shrewsbury Battlefield — Shropshire Council; Notice of election, Battlefield ward — Shropshire Council.