Nigel Farage hailed breaking a 102-year-old record as he declared Reform UK is “in it to win it”.

Reform UK has confirmed it is fielding 1,630 candidates across the country in the upcoming local elections, compared to Labour’s 1,540 and the Tories’ 1,594.

Reform is hoping to make sweeping gains across the country on May 1.

Mr Farage said: “This will be the first time since 1902 that the Conservatives or Labour did not field the most candidates at an election.”

And the Brexit champion said the number of candidates is proof the party has “professionalised”.

In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Farage said: “The local elections on May 1 are happening. We now know how many candidates are being fielded by each party, and you can see here the Labour Party 1,540, you can see the Tories 1,594.

“Leading with 1,630 candidates is Reform UK, the first time in modern history a party other than Labour and the Conservatives have fielded the most candidates. We are in the game and we’re in it to win it.”

Mr Farage told The Telegraph it represents a “major milestone” for the party and is proof it has “professionalised”.

He said: “I said the day after the general election last year that my mission was to professionalise the party. Since that day, we have formed 400 branches, increased our membership to 221,000 and now have a full slate of candidates for the elections on May 1.

“I am immensely proud of our small, professional team and our wonderful volunteers all over the country. This is a very good day for Reform UK.”

In a sign of how focused Labour is on the threat from Reform at the polls on May 1,Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the party “says it wants to run the country” but “can’t even run itself” – a reference to the fallout between MP Rupert Lowe and leader Nigel Farage.

During a speech in Chesterfield on Thursday, he said: “They talk the language of workers’ rights. They talk it alright online, sometimes on the doorstep.

“But what did they do? They voted against banning fire and rehire, they voted against scrapping exploitative zero-hour contracts, they voted against sick leave and maternity pay… And what about the NHS? They want to charge people for using our NHS.”

Starmer added: “There’s nothing patriotic about fawning over Putin.” But Sir Keir acknowledged that "people are still struggling" with the cost of living.

Yet he said the difference between the Labour and Conservative governments is "night and day".

Addressing Labour's local elections launch in the East Midlands, the Prime Minister said: "I know people are still struggling with the cost of living.

"You know that, you see it every day, but the difference between us the last nine months and 14 years of a Tory government. The difference, it's night and day."

Pointing to issues such as reductions in NHS waiting lists, interest rate cuts as well as increases to the minimum wage, he said "that's the change that Labour makes".