'I'm no politician': Unofficial England cricket fan 'leader' bidding for 'protest vote' as he stands for Reform in Oldham local elections
'This is all new territory. I don't think I can do any worse'A well-known cricket fan from Oldham who found fame as part of England fan group The Barmy Army is standing for Reform in the borough's upcoming local electionsVic Flowers has earned a reputation as the group's 'unofficial leader' whilst following the England cricket team over a period of several decades from the 1990s onwards.He is now entering politics for the first time. aged 74, by standing for Reform UK in the Medlock Vale ward in the elections to Oldham Council being held on Thursday, May 7.Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily NewsletterMr Flowers formally announced his candidacy on St George's Day (Thursday, April 23) whilst decked in an outfit and hat bearing the St George cross. He held up signs saying 'Vote Reform' and another saying 'Get Starmer Out.'Speaking afterwards, he told the Manchester Evening News he had 'always been a working class boy' but said he had tended not to vote, since voting for Labour for the one and only time under Tony Blair, which he said he now believed was a 'mistake.'Asked if he had ever been involved in politics before, he said: "Never. It's so far removed. I'm no politician. But if you can contribute, do it. I was able to do it.""The way things have gone in this country, I feel it needs my contribution, whatever that might be," he said. "There are so many people who are fed up. I'm fed up. Things have to be done. And if you can do something, do it."Mr Flowers said that combined with encouragement from his friend and long-term manager, it was the 'attraction of Reform' which prompted him to stand, and specifically, their leader Nigel Farage, who he said was 'different.'"He is quite a good leader," he said. "And just like in The Barmy Army you must have a leader, a good leader. Farage is cut out for that. I'll follow him.""He calls a spade a spade," he continued. "He's not one of these people who say things and mean something else. I think he's quite up front. Since Margaret Thatcher we have not had anything like a leader in this country, and I think that is what is needed, leadership."Asked what he believed he and Reform could offer to the residents of Medlock Vale, he said: "I think a bit of honesty. You don't get much honesty in politics." He accused the current Labour leadership of the council of 'spending a lot of money aimlessly.'"I think if people are going to vote for me, it's going to be a protest vote, in a way," he said. He said that he believed 'people voting Reform were not bothering, like I used to do' but that there had also been a 'swing away from Labour' towards Reform, adding he believed that 'the public are willing to give them a chance.'He said he believed the local elections would be a 'good indication of the way politics is going' and that he believes that 'we're in for a few surprises'. "This is all new territory. I don't think I can do any worse," he said. "I'll just use a little bit of common sense."Dad-of-two Mr Flowers, who grew up on Ashton Road in the town, attended a now closed secondary modern school before becoming a joiner and carpenter. He now lives alone in Hathershaw.Mr Flowers, who said he rings the bells at Oldham Parish Church every Sunday, described himself as 'very patriotic.'He travelled to Australia to watch England win their only test match win of this winter's 4-1 Ashes defeat down under. He said he believed his time travelling with the Barmy Army had stood him good stead for a career in politics."To stand up in front of a big crowd, it takes some guts," he said. "I think you have got to have a certain amount of leadership in you. I discovered a lot about myself. Things have moved on now. Before it was cricket, now it was politics."Asked if he was confident of winning, he said: "No. I've no idea which direction things will go. We shall see. We will find out."Full list of candidates standing in Medlock Vale ward in the 2026 local elections:Shona Farnworth (LIB DEM)Victor Flowers (REFORM)Cameron Lee Gates (GREEN)Junaid Hussain (LAB & CO-OP)Sharoon Zaman (OLDHAM GROUP PARTY)
