UK Politics

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has made massive gains in the local elections across England in a series of stunning victories which appear to redraw the political map.The populist rightwing party won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election in dramatic circumstances with a majority of just six following a recount, overturning a majority for Labour of 14,000.It preceded a set of results which saw their candidate Dame Andrea Jenkyns win as mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, where Reform was also on course to win a majority of county council seats too. The party also seized majorities in Staffordshire and Durham inflicting severe pain on both Labour and the Tories.Polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice has declared that the UK is “no longer a two party system” but has been replaced by a five party one with gains also coming for the Lib Dems and Greens.Follow our live updates on the local elections here. However, in a terrible night for the Tories and Labour both parties appeared to be set to make significant losses.The results could leave serious question marks over Kemi Badenoch’s leadership of the Conservative Party if they are left with no real heartlands across the UK.A rare bright spot for the Tories came the party’s candidate in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoralty Paul Bristow was declared a narrow winner taking28 per cent of the vote, beating the second-place Reform candidate Ryan Coogan, who had 23 per cent.But the results also unleashed almost 10 months of pent up frustration from senior Labour figures against prime minister Sir Keir Starmer who was being blamed for the electoral disaster.Farage’s party also appeared to be on the verge of winning the mayoral race in Hull and East Yorkshire with former Olympic boxer Luke Campbell in what appeared to be a seismic shift in voting across Britain. Reform was also expected to make major gains in Kent.The problems they had with the row over ousting Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe appeared to be a distant memory for Farage and Reform as they swept hundreds of seats across England and were the biggest party inn this round of elections.However, with turnouts often at less than 30 per cent, opponents of Reform were able to cling on to hope that disillusionment and apathy had opened the door for Farage’s party which would not translate into a general election.Nevertheless a jubilant Mr Farage said: “For the movement, for the party, it’s a very, very big moment indeed, absolutely, no question, and it’s happening right across England.”He said it was a sign that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had “alienated so much of his traditional base, it’s just extraordinary”. However, Labour said by-elections are “always difficult for the party in government”, and the events surrounding the Runcorn and Helsby vote made it “even harder”.The prime minister himself attempted to avoid questions on the results as he visited a defence contractor in Bedfordshire.But asked about the results by Sky News, he said: “The message I take away from these results is we must deliver change even more quickly, we must go even further. I’ve believed for some time that’s the case, and reinforced in these results that that’s what we’ve got to do.”Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves acknowledged voters were “impatient”, but insisted “change takes time”. She suggested Reform would face greater scrutiny after its electoral gains.”We’ve had to stabilise the economy, but we’re starting that work. We’ve got our Plan for Change, we’re beginning to see the results of this, but we know we need to go further and faster,” she told Times Radio.But Doncaster’s victorious Labour mayor Ros Jones – who was re-elected with a majority of 698 after a battle with Reform – hit out at the prime minister’s administration. She criticised decisions to means-test the winter fuel allowance, hike employers’ national insurance contributions and squeeze welfare.Ms Jones told the BBC: “I think the results here tonight will demonstrate that they need to be listening to the man, woman and businesses on the street, and actually deliver for the people, with the people.”Anger over taking the winter fuel payment from 10 million pensioners, slashing benefits for the disabled and hiking taxes on businesses were blamed for the catastrophic results for Labour.Union bosses blamed chancellor Rachel Reeves’ austerity. National Education Union (NEU) general secretary Daniel Kebede said Tory austerity has ended in words not deeds.“People voted for change last year. The change they got was cuts to the winter fuel allowance, cheap bus fares and disability benefits,” he said. Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell – now an independent MP after he was forced out of the party for opposing the two child benefit cap – hit out at the party’s response to the results so far as “tin-eared”.Mr McDonnell said on social media: “Labour supporters feel Labour, their party, has turned its back on them citing Winter Fuel Allowance, NI tax on jobs & threat of disability cuts.“Message to ministers is drop the plans to attack [the] disabled.”In her speech after winning Runcorn, Ms Pochin, a former Conservative councillor, said voters had made clear “enough is enough”.The Tories meanwhile were trying to limit the damage and made it clear they would not be forced into a deal with Reform. Previously, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick who some believe is angling to be leader, had been recorded saying that a deal was inevitable. But as the results came in co-chairman Nigel Huddleston insisted there could be no deal with a party “whose aim is to destroy the Conservative Party”.He went on: “Kemi’s position is certainly solid. She’s only been leader for six months and she was out and about right across the country, and I can tell you this, everywhere we went, people wanted to see her more and hear more from her.”Pressed on his use of the word “solid”, Mr Huddleston said: “I say that in a really positive way.” She’s very sensible, she’s very honest, she’s very straightforward. “She doesn’t go around telling people what they want to hear. That’s the easy route in politics.”Meanwhile, Ms Badenoch has tried to play down the electoral catastrophe for her party as it loses hundreds of seats and faces the onward march of Reform.In a statement she said: “These were always going to be a very difficult set of elections coming off the high of 2021, and our historic defeat last year – and so it’s proving. The renewal of our party has only just begun and I’m determined to win back the trust of the public and the seats we’ve lost, in the years to come.”The Lib Dems made gains but failed in their bid to win Devon County Council, although they displaced the Tories as the biggest party.Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Last year the Liberal Democrats won a record number of MPs and became the largest third party in 100 years. Now we are on course for our seventh year of local election gains, making this our best ever winning streak.”Mayoral electionsResults have been declared for four out of six mayoral races, with two more coming later today.Labour have held onto mayoral positions in the West of England, Doncaster, and North Tyneside.Meanwhile Reform has taken its first mayor in Greater Lincolnshire, where former Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns won the race.This year is the first time that voters decide newly-created mayoral positions in Greater Lincolnshire, and Hull & East Yorkshire.The two outstanding results will be in this afternoon.Runcorn and Helsby by-election: Reform wins by a hairlineLabour took a devastating blow in Runcorn and Helsby by-election, where its former MP Mike Amesbury stood down after punching a constituent. Reform won by just six votes, or 0.02 per cent, ahead of Labour in the nail-biting race.The seat was won by Sarah Pochin, who will be Reform’s fifth MP in parliament. Previously, Labour held the seat for more than 40 years.This was the first parliamentary by-election for Labour since last year’s general election; and polls show their national popularity decreasing by over 10 per cent since then.Maps and results with input from Election Maps UK. More

Just a week ago Dame Andrea Jenkyns still did not know whether she would be ruled eligible to stand to be mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.But now, with the question marks over her residency status still hanging over her, the former Tory MP turned Reform defector is suggesting putting migrants in tents and stopping energy secretary Ed Miliband covering East Anglia’s fields with solar panels.But the events of the last seven days are not unusual for a rightwing politician who has courted controversy in a headstrong political career which has given her opponents plenty of ammunition.Whether it is flipping the bird at protesters outside Downing Street while going in to mark Boris Johnson’s departure as prime minister, or ending Ed Balls’ political career, Dame Andrea has never been far from the drama.Andrea Jenkyns arrives at the count More

Reform UK burst into parliament at the general election, winning five seats and promising to hold Labour’s feet to the fire. In doing so, Nigel Farage’s party won the luxury of a platform to shout from without the responsibility of being in power. But on Friday morning, Reform won its first regional mayor in Andrea Jenkyns. With results still coming in, the insurgent right-wing party could gain control of several English councils, too. Like a dog chasing a squirrel and finally catching up, Reform now has to decide what it will actually do with its newfound authority. The only previous example of a Farage-led party taking power offers an unappealing blueprint: a Ukip triumph on Thanet District Council in Kent in 2015 ended in collapse after years of infighting over failures to deliver on election promises. Will Reform suffer the same fate, or is the party better placed to succeed under an older, wiser Mr Farage? Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party could win 12 seats at Holyrood, analysis based on the poll indicated. (Jacob King/PA)The Independent looks at what Reform has promised in the local elections, and whether it can deliver. British DOGEReform’s major promise to voters in the local elections has been to follow Donald Trump’s footsteps and slash government spending. It has promised a British DOGE (Department for Government Efficiency) in each local authority it gains control of. Ms Jenkyns will likely be responsible for rolling out the first as mayor of Greater Lincolnshire. The party hopes it will discover “wasteful” spending on diversity and inclusivity programmes, allowing it to slash spending and cut local taxes in turn. The independent Penn Wharton Budget Model, which tracks government spending in the US, said DOGE has failed to have a meaningful impact on government spending in the US, and that spending could in fact have increased since Mr Trump’s election. The department initially promised $2 trillion (£1.5 trillion) in savings, and has so far found just $160 billion (£120 billion) of cuts – with increases in spending elsewhere leading to the overall rise. War on woke and work from homeMr Farage has also lashed out at councils including Hertfordshire County Council over “woke” issues and staff working from home. He has vowed staff working for Reform-controlled councils will be ordered back to their offices. He also claimed a portrait of Sir Winston Churchill had “a warning note about colonialism, slavery and racism”, a claim denied by the council. He also attacked the “woke virtue signalling spending” of Wiltshire Council during a visit to Salisbury in the run up to polls opening. Rejecting asylum seekersOne of the biggest issues Reform campaigned on is asylum seekers being housed in hotels across the UK. Mr Farage repeatedly pointed during the by-election campaign to the number of migrants living in Runcorn who had arrived in Britain after crossing the English Channel. It has vowed that councillors will campaign against the use of hotels in local authorities they are elected to, with Reform-controlled councils even blocking the use of hotels in areas where they can. Ms Jenkyns sparked anger immediately after her election, suggesting Reform would house asylum seekers in tents rather than hotels. She said if tents are “good enough” for migrants in camps in France, those same migrants should be happy living in tents when they arrive in Britain. How effective will it be? Reform’s Labour and Tory opponents hope power proves a curse for Mr Farage’s party. The areas it controls will face fierce scrutiny in the run up to the next general election, with every fallout and failure sure to make headlines. If the party does deliver, it will prove its positioning as the real opposition to Labour is more than just bluster. But if it fails to live up to its promises, Reform’s polling high might just come crashing down. More

Reform UK’s Sarah Pochin has clinched victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes.She was the favourite to win since being unveiled by Nigel Farage in March, following Labour MP Mike Amesbury’s conviction for punching a constituent. Ms Pochin will become Reform’s fifth MP and its first female representative in parliament when the Commons returns on Tuesday. But who is the 55-year-old new MP and what is she likely to do as a Reform MP? Sarah Pochin won Runcorn by six votes More

The overnight results from Thursday’s elections have sent shockwaves through Britain’s political landscape, raising serious questions about the future of the country’s traditional two-party dominance.Reform UK, long seen as a fringe challenger, won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes, overturning a massive 35-point Labour majority. Nigel Farage’s party also claimed its first mayoralty in Greater Lincolnshire. Early local election results suggest Reform is on track for significant gains, particularly in areas that voted heavily for Brexit.Both Conservatives and Labour are feeling the strain. The Tories have suffered heavy losses, while Labour’s wins have come on sharply reduced vote shares. Meanwhile, smaller parties like the Greens and Liberal Democrats have made modest progress, though they still face challenges breaking through at scale.Polling expert Sir John Curtice says the results underline a long-term shift in voter loyalties, as frustration with both main parties fuels growing support for alternatives like Reform and others. For the first time in decades, he argues, no single party – or even pair of parties – appears to dominate the political scene.As one Independent reader observed: “This election is a double-edged sword. People are turning back to the same promise-makers who failed them – yet it might finally break our two-party system.”So we’re asking: is the era of two-party dominance over?What do you think? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments below. More

Nigel Farage has “broken new ground” by winning the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, Britain’s top pollster has declared. Polling guru professor Sir John Curtice said the victory is a “very substantial success” for Reform UK which proves the party is a major threat to Labour and the Conservatives. Sir John said Mr Farage never won a by-election with Ukip where his MP was not the incumbent, with its two by-election wins coming after sitting MPs defected from the Conservatives. “So, to that extent, we have now broken new ground in terms of parliamentary by-elections,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Sir John added: “We were looking to these elections to answer whether the message of the opinion polls is correct that Reform poses a significant threat to the traditional dominance of the Conservatives and Labour of our electoral politics. Reform UK won by just six votes in Runcorn More

Reform UK has won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes – an extremely narrow victory that will serve as a major boost to Nigel Farage’s party. The party claimed victory in the early hours of Friday morning with 12,645 votes, after the contest sat on a knife edge for hours as a full recount was called, with just a few votes sitting between Reform and Labour. Sir Keir Starmer’s party had held the area for more than 40 years and the seat was won by Labour’s Mike Amesbury at the 2024 general election with a sizeable majority of almost 15,000 votes. Amesbury resigned in February after he was convicted of assault for punching a constituent, triggering Thursday’s by-election.The vote was the first major test for both Reform and Sir Keir’s government after last year’s historic general election victory, nine months into a Labour government where Mr Farage’s party had been leading in the polls.Sarah Pochin wins in Runcorn More

Voters await the result of the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby in CheshireResults have started coming in from the local elections and by-election, with politicians and councillors from Labour, the Tories and Reform UK watching anxiously in the first major test of opinion for Sir Keir Starmer’s government.Labour have held onto North Tyneside, one of six mayoral contests, but only by the slimmest of margins ahead of Reform – just 444 votes.The result also appears to be very close in the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire, called when former Labour MP Mike Amesbury was convicted of assault.In a highly fragmented party system, the votes will show whether Nigel Farage and Reform have maintained their high poll ratings since last summer.The Conservatives, defending 954 seats, are bracing themselves for heavy losses. Tory grandees have warned their party against doing deals with Reform. Early results showed Reform making inroads at the expense of Labour in Northumberland, the only council counting in full overnight.A total of 1,641 council seats are up for grabs in 23 local authorities across England.Reform’s Andrea Jenkyns ahead after first declaration in North LincolnshireReform UK candidate Dame Andrea Jenkyns was ahead after the first declaration in the contest to become the first North Lincolnshire mayor.Boston Borough Council, one of the nine authorities that make up the mayoral area, said Dame Andrea had 7,285 votes, ahead of Conservatives (2,695), Lincolnshire Independents (1,193), Labour (897), Green (774) and Liberal Democrat (513).Reform UK’s Greater Lincolnshire mayoral candidate Dame Andrea Jenkyns during the count at Grimsby Town Hall, Lincolnshire More