Tyson Fury 'offered chance to become Mayor of Lancashire by Reform UK'
The boxer would probably have been the most well-known face in the political contest.
Heavyweight boxing champion and former Morecambe resident Tyson Fury was approached by Reform UK to be the party’s candidate in any future election for a Lancashire mayor, it has been claimed.
According to a report by ‘The i’ newspaper, the Gypsy King, as he is nicknamed, was asked if he would be willing to represent Reform on the ballot paper should a county-wide mayoral post - akin to Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester - be created.
The paper said Manchester-born Fury, 37, “rebuffed” the offer, because he “no longer harbours ambitions to get involved in politics”.
Reform UK’s national press office was unable to confirm the story to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) when asked to do so. The LDRS also attempted to contact Tyson Fury, but did not receive a response.
The multi-championship-winning boxer and reality TV star declared in 2015 that he planned to fight the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency as an independent candidate at what was then expected to be the next general election in 2020. However, he did not contest the seat when then Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap election in 2017.
It is not known when the reported approach by Reform UK over the mayoral candidacy was made, but it must have pre-dated Fury’s move from Morecambe – after 17 years – to the Isle of Man late last year.
The party’s elected mayor in Hull and East Yorkshire is the former professional boxer Luke Campbell.
Reform swept to victory in the Lancashire County Council local elections in 2025 to take control of the authority, with one of the local party’s campaign pledges being to seek a legally-binding referendum on the creation of an elected mayor.
The authority’s leader, Stephen Atkinson, has fervently resisted the establishment of the post in Lancashire – including during his six years as the Conservative leader of Ribble Valley Borough Council, before he defected to Reform early last year. He met with former devolution minister Jim McMahon shortly after taking charge at County Hall last summer to make the case for a public vote – but it is understood a referendum would not have been given legal status had it been held.
After a decade of local political wrangling over the prospect of a directly-elected mayor for Lancashire, the county looks to be inching towards accepting the role as part of moves to deepen its devolution arrangements - securing more powers and cash in the process.
A crunch meeting between the government and the leaders of Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council had been due to take place last week, but was cancelled because of the King’s Speech - and is now set be rescheduled at a later date.