Many voted for party as protest against government while others have detached completely from politics The boss, as aides call him, was on his way. It was 2.30am and Nigel Farage had arrived at a Cheshire leisure centre, ready to declare victory in the closely-fought Runcorn and Helsby byelection But as camera crews gathered, Reform UK officials who were ready to welcome their leader frantically scrambled back to the ballot boxes It would be another three hours before Farage sauntered into the DCBL Stadium looking relaxed despite the knife-edge contest that had left his sleep-deprived aides looking increasingly frazzled The 61-year-old laughed off claims he had spent daybreak touring Widnes after aborting his earlier grand entrance absolutely no question,” declared the perma-tanned populist as his party grasped hold of one of Labour’s safest seats by just six votes after a dramatic recount It was the narrowest parliamentary byelection win this century On the southern banks of the River Mersey in Cheshire from the post-industrial town of Runcorn to the Conservative villages around Frodsham Reform UK had united an uneasy coalition of voters against Labour One party activist described its supporters as a combination of “those who set their alarm for work in the morning and are angry at those who don’t – and those who don’t” had relied on those who despise Farage – and they span all political shades – but it was not enough to save their 14,700-vote majority Many had voted for Reform UK as a protest against the government Others expressed their displeasure more creatively “I’ve never seen so many drawings of penises,” said one seasoned Labour campaigner after examining spoiled ballot papers The discontent was palpable on Friday in Murdishaw a 1970s housing estate in Runcorn where barely one in four voted in Thursday’s contest – the lowest turnout in the constituency was horrified when told by the Guardian that Reform had won by just six votes adding: “I forgot all about [the election] Underlying Reform UK’s dismantling of the historic two-party system in Westminster is a much more troubling trend: the growing numbers of voters detaching completely from politics a former Conservative councillor and local magistrate becomes the first non-Labour MP elected by Runcorn in more than half a century But 200 miles across northern England, Reform gained its most powerful role yet as Andrea Jenkyns, a former Tory MP, was crowned mayor of the newly created authority of Greater Lincolnshire with a thumping 40,000-vote lead over the Conservatives Andrea Jenkyns took a 40,000-vote lead over her Conservative rival to become the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty ImagesVoters will now look to Greater Lincolnshire Durham and Staffordshire to see what Reform UK can do in power Jenkyns has pledged to ape Elon Musk’s cost-cutting “department of government efficiency” by launching a “Doge Lincolnshire” Jenkyns wasted no time in burnishing her hard-right credentials in her victory speech telling the count centre in Grimsby that vulnerable asylum seekers should be forced to sleep in tents rather than housed in hotels they should be good enough for here in Britain,” she said Speaking at a celebratory rally later on Friday at a working men’s club in County Durham saying Reform-run areas would “resist” efforts by central government to house asylum seekers locally The elections were “a truly historic landmark” Conservative voters in the leafy village of Kingsley which recorded the constituency’s highest turnout “It’s gone from Labour and that’s a good thing,” said one cheerful retiree said he believed the byelection was won as a result of divisive national concerns such as immigration rather than local issues “I think there’s been a lot of noise created around this and a lot of noise by Reform,” he said making statements about illegal immigrants – who are not the same as asylum seekers – and trying to bias the views of the public.” The TimesThis week was Ellie Reeves’s first big test as Labour Party chair And whatever the other results at the locals would always be the best indicator of whether Reeves passed that test Labour MPs knew it would be close but in recent days they had been warming to the idea that there could be good news in Runcorn Doorknockers were handed bespoke messages to chime with voters living on specific streets And Labour’s 2022-23 by-election victories in the northwest This sunny perspective overlooked another northwest by-election in 2024 Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. CommentWhy Nigel Farage really won the Runcorn by-electionMaking speeches about patriotism is easy – fixing potholes is harder. Farage is entitled to celebrate, but whether Reform is fit for power is another matter, says Simon Walters On a day when Nigel Farage has good cause to celebrate his success in yesterday’s elections with a pint of foaming ale my mind is cast back to when I first interviewed him David Cameron had not long become prime minister and Farage was just starting to snap at his heels The Tory Party has had no fewer than five leaders since then While many politicians, including Keir Starmer who served under old-style socialist Jeremy Corbyn and now runs a government closer to Tony Blair’s New Labour move with each change in the political wind it was derided as ‘Little Englander’ or ‘niche’ or ‘irrelevant.’ Farage-style politicians are gaining power and influence everywhere after yesterday’s triumph for Farage’s Reform Party he has revelled in standing on the sidelines mocking the way those in power invariably make a mess of things Now he – and his Party – will have to take responsibility for running things and be held to account Anyone can make a patriotic speech – fixing potholes takes hard graft Part of Farage’s appeal is his schoolboyish cheek and charm He has made no secret of wanting to be prime minister. But if his party fails to put its reputation for chaotic – and often deeply unpleasant – behaviour behind it voters are not likely to trust him with the keys to Number 10 at the next election The bad blood between Farage and the Tories that marked yesterday’s elections dates back to Cameron’s infamous remark about Farage’s Ukip (the forerunner of Reform) was that they were made up of “loonies There are those who believe that is still true Now that hundreds of Reform councillors are about to receive the laser-like scrutiny that goes with being in office Cameron tried to kill off Farage politically by calling his bluff and holding the Brexit referendum Cameron was destroyed and Farage had another pint to celebrate Most independent experts agree far from leading us to the land of milk and honey Brexit has led to Britain being substantially worse off economically – just like Farage’s pal and role model Donald Trump’s tariffs have left America worse off but his poll ratings have already plummeted as his policies have predictably failed to live up to his colourful rhetoric and grandstanding Farage is no slouch when it comes to colourful rhetoric and grandstanding Would his Trumpian approach be any more successful here Farage benefits hugely from being up against three of the most lacklustre mainstream British party leaders for a long time in Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Ed Davey With them as competition he can hardly fail to shine And there is no doubting Starmer has moved closer to Farage on issues such as immigration My 2012 interview with Farage took place in Westminster’s Marquis of Granby pub – not by design but because the nearby venue we hoped to use fell through at the last minute It has become such a ubiquitous and effective part of his man of the people image he almost seems naked without it When I interviewed him years later in a restaurant and a glass of fine red wine appeared in the photo he was not best pleased You can be sure photogenic Farage will be downing a pint of ale – definitely not red wine – in front of the cameras in the next few days After winning the Runcorn by-election by six votes Whether Reform has the discipline to earn its corn and deliver is another matter govt and politics"},{"score":0.834227,"label":"/law govt and politics/politics"},{"score":0.752955,"label":"/law govt and politics/politics/political parties"},{"score":0.685303,"label":"/law govt and politics/government/parliament"},{"score":0.66999,"label":"/law govt and politics/politics/elections/local elections"},{"score":0.608873,"label":"/law but whether Reform is fit for power is another matter own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment University of Liverpool provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK View all partners One story dominates the elections held on May 1 in England: the dramatic Reform surge The Runcorn and Helsby byelection was a stunning win for Nigel Farage’s party This has delivered Reform its first woman MP former Conservative councillor Sarah Pochin Her arrival brings the party up to five MPs (a sixth having been suspended from the party earlier this year) Do early byelections matter, with the general election so distant? They can be a signal of what is to come. Since the second world war, Labour has only once retained office at the next general election after losing a seat at a byelection less than one year after forming a government. A narrow loss to the Conservatives in Leyton in 1965 was sandwiched between 1964 and 1966 general election triumphs The norm is for new governments to enjoy a honeymoon Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter Farage has made what is being called an economic “left turn” in a bid to attract Labour voters. He continues to push for tougher immigration policies but is now also backing greater nationalisation, including for British steel. Starmer benefited from intra-right tussling between the Conservatives and Reform in July – the split vote on the right contributed to his loveless landslide. But things look different now Reform has shown it can take on Labour and win. And while the Conservatives were never in the running in this byelection, they’ve been damaged in their own way. Farage’s assessment was that “after tonight, there’s no question, in most of the country we are now the main opposition party to this government.” Given that the Conservatives have 20 times the number of MPs as Reform, that’s a bold claim from Farage. But Reform has more members and is well funded. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has compared her position to that of William Hague when he took over a Conservative party battered by Labour’s landslide win in 1997. It’s a dismal vista. Hague was similarly crushed at the next general election. Yet for the Conservatives there remained the prospect of an eventual swing back of the pendulum. As the fragmentation of politics gathers pace under the Reform surge, there are now no such guarantees. Badenoch’s closest leadership rival, Robert Jenrick, has made clear that the right of British politics, the Conservatives and Reform, will be obliged to unite or both will fail. They believe Reform has yet to be properly scrutinised and could fade. Yet Reform may continue to upend the old certainties of the Conservative-Labour duopoly. British electoral politics have never been more fragmented and, in that context, Farage is the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next prime minister. but what comes next?","thumbnailUrl":["https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1920x1080/p0l7wcsk.jpg","https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1232x1232/p0l7wcsk.jpg","https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/688xn/p0l7wcsk.jpg","https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/400xn/p0l7wcsk.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2025-05-02T11:51:22.684Z","duration":"PT1M26S"}Henry Zeffman: Reform UK wins Runcorn but what comes next?This video can not be played CloseThe BBC's Chief Political Correspondent Henry Zeffman explains what the Reform UK surge means for British politics Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionExplore moreHenry Zeffman: Reform UK wins Runcorn 00:01:26Henry Zeffman: Reform UK wins Runcorn 1:26Up Next What could Reform's wins mean for Labour and Tories 00:01:11What could Reform's wins mean for Labour and Tories 1:11We have made history here - Runcorn's new Reform MP 00:01:11We have made history here - Runcorn's new Reform MP 1:11Editor's recommendationsWatch: BBC reports from pier 33 - the gateway to Alcatraz 00:01:40Watch: BBC reports from pier 33 - the gateway to Alcatraz 1:40Watch: Prince Louis steals the show as royals mark VE Day 00:01:25Watch: Prince Louis steals the show as royals mark VE Day 1:25Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster Video 00:01:21Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster 1:21'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 00:01:20'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 1:20Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 00:02:54Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 2:54Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 00:01:32Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 1:32Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 00:01:11Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 1:11Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 00:00:50Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 0:50Ros Atkins on.. What's in the US-Ukraine resources deal 1:23Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election 00:01:18Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election 1:18Watch: Moment Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi is released 00:00:46Watch: Moment Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi is released Keir Starmer visits a defence contractor as local and mayoral election results come in Friday 2 May (PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo) Labour’s defeat in Runcorn was entirely avoidable – and is the direct result of the party leadership’s political choices By pushing policies like cuts to disability benefits and scrapping the winter fuel allowance for millions the leadership is driving away our own voters – and letting Reform squeeze through The Labour leadership must urgently change course and deliver the real change people are crying out for Chasing Reform voters is a strategic dead end Labour won a landslide majority just nine months ago some in the party may believe we can simply ride out the defeat in Runcorn (and the close races elsewhere) and wait for the tide to turn That would be a dangerously complacent reading of events Labour’s general election majority was won on the lowest-ever vote share for a winning party and on a near-record low turnout. Just one in five eligible voters backed Labour. As pollsters warned at the time, this majority should never have been seen as a skyscraper but a sandcastle – one that could wash away just as the Tories’ 2019 landslide did To hold and then build from that fragile position Labour has needed a strategy to expand its coalition – by showing it is on the side of the vast majority of people sitting in the House of Commons listening to the leadership at times it has felt like it is doing the exact opposite Much attention will now turn to how to fight Reform UK especially as they are in second place in dozens of Labour seats Labour cannot afford to misread this moment The collapse of Labour’s progressive coalition is what’s allowing Reform to win Policies that rebuild that coalition are the only way to stop them Polling shows Labour is bleeding at least as much support to its left as to its right. A YouGov poll earlier this year found Labour had lost seven per cent of its 2024 voters to the Liberal Democrats and six per cent to the Greens That’s more than the five per cent lost to Reform UK and four per cent to the Conservatives New research this week from Persuasion UK underlines that message. Only 11 per cent of Labour’s 2024 voters are “Reform-curious” there are three or four Labour voters open to voting for the Greens or Lib Dems three-quarters of Reform’s support comes from voters who haven’t backed Labour in a general election in 20 years. They are historically anti-Labour voters who have overwhelmingly voted for various parties on the right including the Conservatives and UKIP and to a lesser extent not voted at all Reform’s gains since the general election are thanks to disillusioned ex-Tories and non-voters – and not in any significant way from Labour’s own voter base Trying to win over these Reform voters with rightward lurches risks doing more harm than good by alienating core Labour supporters and making vote-splitting amongst progressive voters even more likely The result will be more far-right MPs and more working-class communities left without a real champion Much better would be to start embracing real Labour values like taxing the wealthiest and delivering massive investment in public services These are the policies the polling says would best allow Labour to hold both Reform and Green defectors After more than a decade of Conservative cruelty the public wanted a break from austerity and real change Labour has presented itself as the party of change — but voters clearly don’t like what is now being offered Next May sees elections for the Scottish and Welsh governments and in hundreds of council seats in Labour heartlands across England It could be the true moment of reckoning for the government It is not too late for the Labour leadership to signal a new direction It must bring people together around a bold then Reform will hope that these elections are just a stepping stone to copying Trump and forming the next government on the back of a wave of popular anger The consequences of that would be horrific for those the Labour Party exists to represent Richard Burgon is the Labour MP for Leeds East Are you looking to engage with the most influential people in UK politics PoliticsHome & The House Magazine organise a number of industry leading political events throughout the year Get daily news alerts and weekend round-ups straight to your inbox © Political Holdings Limited document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); but there is a clear early winner from these local elections: Nigel Farage His party triumphed in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election this morning overturning a 14,000-odd majority and winning by just six votes Andrea Jenkyns triumphed in Lincolnshire; Reform came second in a number of mayoral races; and their 38 per cent vote share in Runcorn matches the best-ever performance that Ukip achieved in a by-election the story is one of teal triumph – at the expense of the two main parties Labour are already pointing to the difficulty incumbents often face at local elections and will claim victory after narrowly holding out in three mayoral races: North Tyneside appear to have totally capitulated – but with widespread results for councils across England expected later Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Lucy Dunn Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3 Already a subscriber? Log in Nick Abbot is Leading Britain's Conversation A Labour MP has accused Keir Starmer of being 'tone deaf' after the Prime Minister vowed to deliver change quickly after 'disappointing' local election results Emma Lewell, Labour MP for South Shields since 2013, took to social media to call out Keir Starmer after local elections across England on Thursday "If you promise people that you will be forced on serving the public and then do not listen to them do not expect them to vote for you," she wrote denial of compensation for the WASPI women This comes as Labour had a "disappointing" local election result as Reform UK surge to victory in the Runcorn by-election "It is tone deaf to keep repeating we will move further and faster on our plan for change," Ms Lewell wrote "What we need is a change of plan." Elections pic.twitter.com/Xq3zIr3Ia0 Speaking on a visit to Bedfordshire on Friday the PM said he wanted to go "further and faster on the change that people want to see" after Reform surged to victory Despite the "disappointing" results he insisted that the government had made "tough but right" decisions such as hiking national insurance cutting winter fuel allowance for pensioners and curbing benefits "The reason that we took the tough but right decisions in the budget was because we inherited a broken economy," he said He added: "Maybe other prime ministers would have walked past that I took the choice to make sure our economy was stable." Reform's Sarah Pochin beat Sir Keir's candidate Karen Shore by six votes in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election taking the seat which Labour won with a majority of almost 14,700 less than a year ago Reform won control of Staffordshire Council - their first ever council majority Labour narrowly retained mayoralties in both Doncaster and North Tyneside who was present at the by-election count at the Halton Stadium in Widnes said: "Provisional announcement from Runcorn & Helsby is Reform wins by four votes." Read more: With Reform knocking on the door of local politics, the Tories look set for a bloodbath, writes LBC's Natasha Clark Read More: 'What does he actually stand for?': Nigel Farage rips into Starmer as he hails victory in knife-edge Runcorn by-election the news came in that Reform had indeed won the race by just six votes in what will go down as the closest race in by-election history Sarah Pochin becomes the constituency's new MP after securing 12,645 votes 85 ballots were rejected as part of the recount Nigel Farage said it was a “big moment” for Reform UK as he arrived at the Runcorn and Helsby count and it's happening right across England." Farage said the country has "lost faith" in Labour and pointed to the increase in channel crossings as a key reason for their defeat It seems that whatever Morgan McSweeney writes for him on a piece of paper he reads out there's no conviction in this Labour Party the things that switched a lot of old Labour voters to us in this constituency they have alarms that go off in the morning they cross the bridge and work in Merseyside “Mostly the taxes they pay are going up and they wonder why they're doing it a feeling that somehow Labour is not a patriotic party there are 750 young men who've crossed the English Channel living in this constituency at the expense of hard-working taxpayers Its influence on this by election was enormous.” said: "We have made history here tonight." The contest to become the new MP for Runcorn and Helsby was the first by-election under Keir Starmer's leadership and was seen as hugely important for both Reform and Labour 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" after Reform UK's Sarah Pochin won the seat A party spokesperson said: "By-elections are always difficult for the party in government and the events which led to this one being called made it even harder "Voters are still rightly furious with the state of the country after 14 years of failure and clearly expect the Government to move faster with the plan for change "While Labour has suffered an extremely narrow defeat the shock is that the Conservative vote has collapsed Moderate voters are clearly appalled by the talk of a Tory-Reform pact "There are encouraging signs that our plan for change is working - NHS waiting lists inflation and interest rates down with wages up - but we will go further and faster to deliver change with relentless focus on putting money back into people's pockets." The vote was triggered after former Labour MP Mike Amesbury quit the party after admitting punching a constituent in the street Amesbury pleaded guilty to assaulting constituent Paul Fellows for which he was given a suspended sentence Amesbury won his seat last year with a majority of 14,696 over Reform UK and his resignation became the first by-election test for Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party It comes as a number of by-elections are being held across England and Reform UK is contesting nearly all of them More than 1,600 council seats are up for grabs across 23 local authorities while four regional mayors and two local mayors will be elected Reform only put forward candidates in 12% of all available council seats Farage said the party is deploying nearly a "full list of candidates across the entire country" The leader of the right-wing populist party said he wanted to “smash the two-party system” Reform does not currently run any councils but critics and supporters alike will be eager to see how they will run local authorities if they do win councils and mayoral contests The level of votes they receive at the local level will also be a major electoral test for the party which has publicly spoken about their ambitions to win the next general election and run the country Most of the council seats were last contested in May 2021 at a time when the then-Conservative government led by former prime minister Boris Johnson was enjoying a spike in popularity following the successful rollout of the first Covid-19 vaccines This means the Tories are defending a large number of seats across much of the country: they currently control 19 of the 23 local authorities holding elections on Thursday either as the majority party or a minority administration Zhao Xintong wins historic World Snooker Championship defeating Mark Williams Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has admitted that Labour's defeat in the Runcorn & Helsby by-election is "disappointing" Starmer said: "The results are disappointing and I could stand here and say that opposition parties always do well in elections like this "What I want to say is my response is We were elected in last year to bring about change and that's what people desperately want." What the Britain Predicts forecast says with a few days to go A few hundred votes in County Cheshire threaten what should have been a Labour safe seat a political era where the most popular party in the country is polling on just 25 per cent of the vote Runcorn and Helsby is two thirds Runcorn (an industrial town with a cargo port) and one third Helsby a collection of well-to-do small parish villages with experimental pub lunches (recommendations available on request) These parts couldn’t be further from each other in need Modelling suggested Runcorn proper was heading Reform’s way long before this contest was called Votes in by-elections in St Helens and Tameside and in south Wales suggest the radical right would out perform expectations in the built-up areas of red-brick Britain I live a twenty minute walk from Runcorn and Helsby’s edge In the wealthy areas they vote Conservative in council contests Labour is hoping Tory votes will shift leftward to keep Reform at bay The hope behind this – shall we call it a Stop Farage campaign – is that Tories prefer Labour to Reform Tory voters in Labour vs Reform fights tend to lean Reform But when you control for affluence it isn’t so simple Rich Conservative voters are more split on the question I hear of former Conservative councillors in the locale conceding that they will vote Labour for the first time It makes sense for Labour to give the strategy a go But it speaks to the desperation of it all Talk to both Labour and Reform figures on the ground about the horse race nature of this fight and they speak in unison “I don’t understand what Labour is up to,” one Reform insider tells me “They must have private polling which doesn’t look good.” Meanwhile Labour activists report encountering fewer Reform voters on the doorstep than they expected More apathetics than out-and-out Faragistas Reform is banking on voters with an unreliable history of voting in part because some traditional voters will stay home (Labour looks like “more of the same” than “a real change” as More in Common polling finds); and in part because traditional non-voters are psyched up by Farage The problem for the conventional parties is these new non-voters lean Reform On the voter sheets they are often written off as not voting This polling is backed up in part by council by-elections But in a high risk game of constituency contest Which brings us to the Britain Predicts model Two things to consider: turnout and vote share votes tallied on Thursday 1 May will likely range from 23,000 to 29,000 This isn’t out there for a parliamentary by-election The modelling suggests most of the variation will come from Runcorn-proper Reform’s reliance on voters with an unreliable record of voting is where the uncertainty lies here Previously, the model gave the seat to Labour by 33 per cent to 30 per cent Now the tactical voting feature has been applied and the numbers are as follows: Labour 36 per cent The model’s central estimate anticipates 25,853 votes to be cast too: Labour should expect to pull in between 32.6 and 39.5 per cent of the vote; whereas Reform is on course to win between 31.7 and 40.1 per cent of the vote The greater range for Reform can primarily be attributed to But the central estimate from Britain Predicts is this: a gasping lead for Labour in one of its safer seats in the country The party has nothing to be happy about that [See more: Does Labour have a “forgotten flank”?] Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country Digital access for organisations. Includes exclusive features and content. See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey says they are now "the party of middle England" as the party secures control of three councils Keir Starmer says Labour's by-election loss is "disappointing" while Nigel Farage says today "marks the end of two-party politics" Labour narrowly holds three mayoral races in North Tyneside, the West of England, and Doncaster - but loses control of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoralty to the Conservatives These are really bad results for the Labour party, writes the BBC's chief political correspondent in seven key takeaways Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says she's "determined to win back" trust as her party loses more than 600 councillors Watch: BBC's Henry Zeffman on what comes after Reform's by-election win Nigel Farage celebrating with Reform UK activists in Stafford earlier today It's been a dizzying day of electoral coverage as results poured in from 23 councils six mayoral contests and one by-election across England The elections marked a big test for the Labour government as the first vote to take place since the general election in July 2024 it was difficult night for both Labour and the Conservatives as Reform made sweeping wins Reform leader Nigel Farage said his party had replaced the Tories as "the main opposition party in government" after Reform gained control of 10 councils, won two mayoral contest and gained their fifth MP in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by the narrowest of margins It was also a difficult day for the Conservatives who lost more than 670 councillors and won just one mayoral election in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch pledged to "win back" the public's trust the Liberal Democrats were left in a celebratory mood - with leader Ed Davey declaring the Lib Dems as "the new party of Middle England" - after taking control of three councils and dozens of seats We'll be closing our live coverage now, but you can read our write up of the day's events here - or get the full election results on our dedicated page There's also a selection of news and analysis below: Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform take control of West Northamptonshire from Conservativespublished at 21:26 British Summer Time 2 May21:26 BST 2 MayBreakingAnd we've now got the final results for this election This takes the total number of councils they have control over to ten The party has a total of 39 seats on the council while the Conservatives have dropped by 31 seats to just 16 Labour has lost nine councillors with just nine seats while the Liberal Democrats have increased their number of seats to four The council has so far declared 70 of 76 seats Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingOne more election result to go...published at 21:04 British Summer Time 2 May21:04 BST 2 MayWe're still waiting for the results in West Northamptonshire to come through the final one to declare of today's 23 local council election results Reform UK took control in North Northamptonshire a short while ago We'll bring you the results as soon as we get them Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform gains two mayors while Labour clings on to three - a recappublished at 20:24 British Summer Time 2 May20:24 BST 2 MayImage source said her election marked a "new dawn in British politics" While we wait for the result from the last council to declare - West Northamptonshire - here's a recap of the six mayoral contests: Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform take North Norhamptonshire from Conservativespublished at 20:20 British Summer Time 2 May20:20 BST 2 MayBreakingWe've just got the results for North Northamptonshire Council This takes the total number of councils they have control over to nine while the Tories have dropped by 29 seats and have 10 so far Labour has lost 10 councillors and have just two seats while the Greens are up by four to have five seats The council has not yet finished reporting with 53 out of 66 seats declared so far Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingNo overall majority in Buckinghamshirepublished at 20:17 British Summer Time 2 May20:17 BST 2 MayBreakingNearly all of the 92 seats in Buckinghamshire Council have been declared and no party has secured an overall majority have 42 councillors so far - a loss of 30 seats The Liberal Democrats have gained 18 - with a total of 26 councillors so far while Labour has a total of five councillors Greens have also gained two councillors in the area Reform has gained 3 new councillors in the area Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSeven things we have learnt from this electionpublished at 20:04 British Summer Time 2 May20:04 BST 2 MayHenry ZeffmanChief political correspondent The election results are still being counted but this patchwork of different contests across England has been truly fascinating throwing up all sorts of lessons - here are seven things we have learnt so far: Want to know more? Read Henry's full analysis of the election so far Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingResult expected for Buckinghamshire Councilpublished at 19:55 British Summer Time 2 May19:55 BST 2 MayA result for the election at Buckinghamshire Council is imminent We'll update you as soon as we have the result Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLatest results as Liberal Democrats take control of three councilspublished at 19:39 British Summer Time 2 May19:39 BST 2 MayLiberal Democrats win control of three councils taking dozens of seats from Conservatives: Reform UK beat Conservatives and Labour in several areas many councils have no party in overall control: Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform UK gain Doncaster from Labourpublished at 19:02 British Summer Time 2 May19:02 BST 2 MayBreakingReform gains Doncaster Council from Labour with 37 of the council's 55 seats declared while Labour loses 21 seats and has five councillors so far Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingNo overall control in Cornwallpublished at 18:52 British Summer Time 2 May18:52 BST 2 MayBreakingAll results have now been declared in Cornwall Council and no party has a majority - this is the same as the previous election Reform have gained 28 new seats in the area with the Liberal Democrats following closely behind with 13 new seats and a total of 26 councillors The Green Party has also gained two seats in the area while Labour lost one to have four overall Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLiberal Democrats gain overall majority in Shropshirepublished at 18:32 British Summer Time 2 May18:32 BST 2 MayBreakingMost of the results are in for Shropshire Council and the Lib Dems have gained an overall majority with 39 councillors - this is an increase of 24 seats for the party Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingStarmer on course to be a one-term prime minister Badenoch sayspublished at 18:30 British Summer Time 2 May18:30 BST 2 MayConservative leader Kemi Badenoch spoke earlier today in Peterborough alongside Paul Bristow who won the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral election this afternoon She told Conservative councillors who have lost their seats that she is "sincerely sorry" and that while the public are "fed up" with Labour they are not yet ready to trust the Tories "What I saw everywhere I campaigned was that people are fed up with the Labour government," she said "They were angry about winter fuel payments but they are still not yet ready to trust us." Badenoch added today's election results show that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is "on course to be a one-term prime minister" "We have a big job to do to rebuild trust with the public adding that her job is to get the party back to being a credible alternative to Labour." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLib Dems believe they have won majority in Shropshirepublished at 18:17 British Summer Time 2 May18:17 BST 2 MayElizabeth GlinkaPolitical editor The Liberal Democrats believe they have done enough to take control of Shropshire Council and will win 42 seats on the authority Thirty-eight is required for an overall majority Counting is ongoing and official declarations are yet to take place Reform has exceeded expectations and is currently the second largest party on 13 seats Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform well in the lead as Doncaster reaches halfway markpublished at 18:11 British Summer Time 2 May18:11 BST 2 MayLucy AshtonBBC Sheffield political reporter We are about halfway through the Doncaster Council count and so far compared to Labour’s four and the Conservative’s two who is married to former local Labour MP Caroline Flint was among those who lost his seat to Reform Doncaster has a directly-elected Mayor though so there will not be any discussions about no overall control or majority parties will form a cabinet and has the authority to push through most council decisions Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWhat did Labour promise on energy bills?published at 18:04 British Summer Time 2 May18:04 BST 2 MayBy Rupert Carey Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFarage suggests Reform will cut DEI jobs working from homepublished at 17:57 British Summer Time 2 May17:57 BST 2 MayReform leader Nigel Farage says his party will be "radical a breath of fresh air in county hall" after taking control of several local councils He tells BBC Look North that while they "can't wave magic wands" Reform will have a "very different approach to local government" "There is too much wasteful expenditure we want to try and change that," says Farage I suggest you look for another job." DEI is a set of principles designed to make people of various backgrounds – including socio-economic class gender and physical ability – feel supported They have been a cause of recent controversy in US politics where President Donald Trump - who Farage is a vocal supporter of - has aggressively sought to end them and "restore merit-based opportunity" Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingA profound moment in modern British politicspublished at 17:48 British Summer Time 2 May17:48 BST 2 MayChris MasonPolitical editor Demolishing the duopoly in British politics The formation of the Social Democratic Party in 1981 when the Conservative share of the vote was 9% to Labour’s 14% big majorities at Westminster for the Conservatives or Labour In 2017 the big two in the Commons swept up 82.4% of the vote combined Perspective should triumph over breathlessness But it is also true that if yesterday was a test to establish if Reform could match their opinion poll ratings with actual votes they have actually surpassed that This then is a profound moment in our contemporary politics whatever lies ahead the Conservatives and others will be obliged to respond to it Senior Reform figures believe the primary driving motivation behind their surge that most powerful of human emotions: betrayal; betrayal two things to observe: the perceived competence to fuel further rise or fall and the reaction from their rivals it provokes And a final thought - if English politics feels splintered and noisy remember Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland too contribute further to the cacophony of political voices demanding our attention and endorsement Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLatest England council results at a glancepublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 2 May17:39 BST 2 MayWe've seen a flurry of new council results coming in over the last few hours only Reform has taken control of a council from another party Here's a full breakdown by party of the results so far: There are currently seven councils with no overall control: Devon Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLib Dems take control of Cambridgeshire County Councilpublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 2 May17:29 BST 2 MayBreakingAll of the results are in and the Liberal Democrats have taken control of Cambridgeshire Labour now holds five seats after losing four No party had overall control of the council prior to the election Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Exclusive: Curtice warns that Starmer’s failings have opened the door for Reform while fellow pollster Luke Tryl suggests the Tories only have 12 months to turn things around I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice He also suggested that Labour MPs are now right to fear Reform and Nigel Farage more than Kemi Badenoch and the Tories with the beleaguered Conservative Party leader already facing plots to have her removed executive director of polling organisation More in Common has warned that the Tories have just 12 months to turn things around before being consigned to irrelevance His warning came after The Independent revealed that Tory MPs are already plotting to remove leader Kemi Badenoch The revelation led to newly elected Tory mayor for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire the only success story for the party this week Meanwhile, Labour’s woes are set to get worse amid revelations that Mr Farage intends to use Reform’s control of 10 councils to launch a series of taxpayer funded legal challenges on net zero policies and housing migrants to tie Sir Keir Starmer’s government in knots. Writing for The Independent, Sir John pointed out that Labour had “little to lose” at the local elections last week because they did very badly when the same seats were last contested in 2021. Nevertheless, he pointed out that Labour still managed to lose two thirds of the seats it was defending. Sir John noted: “Labour’s own vote was in free fall. Despite having done so poorly in the local elections four years ago, the party’s vote fell on average since then by as much as nine points. “Crucially, it collapsed most of all in the party’s heartlands, limited though they were in number on Thursday. In seats Labour was defending its vote fell on average by as much as 19 points.” He added that unlike the Tories, the strength of Reform’s advance made “little difference on how far the Labour vote dropped”. In seats Reform did poorly in, Labour maintained its support, while in seats Mr Farage’s party was strong in Labour’s vote dropped an average of 11.5 per cent. He noted that “it is also potentially a sign that disappointment with Labour’s record in office is particularly marked among some of its core supporters” with rows over two child benefit, removing winter fuel payment from pensioners, slashing disability benefits and not taking a firm stance against Israel over Gaza. Sir John added: “The pattern was devastating. Labour’s collapse left the door open to Reform to take many a seat from the party, albeit sometimes by quite a narrow margin. “Labour’s problem on Thursday was not simply the appeal of Reform. It was also itself. The party has seemingly lost the confidence of many of its heartland voters.” Meanwhile, things look even worse for the Tories with Mr Tryl claiming they “are at the moment of maximum danger”. He said: “What you're seeing now is former Tory bastions like Kent where they have lost almost all their seats, going from having almost total control to being a third or fourth party. “You've also got the fact that institutionally councillors make up a big part of your base. Losing so many seats in the heartlands ... you can't get that manpower back. It furthers the risk that they sort of just slowly or, in the case of Thursday night, quite dramatically slide into irrelevance.” He also noted that Reform are now in second place in most Labour and Lib Dem seats giving them an edge as change candidates in the future. He said that the only advantage the Tories have is that they have many more MPs but with question marks over Ms Badenoch, he said: “When I go around the country many people don’t know who she is.” Giving the party just 12 months to turn things around, he said: “I think they have until next year's local elections, Holyrood elections and Senedd elections to show that they're still relevant.” But the politician who represented the only major success story of the night for the Tories, new Peterborough and Cambridgeshire mayor, Paul Bristow has urged his party to “step up” and “stop the constant infighting” with changes of leader. He admitted that as a former Peterborough MP a “personal vote” for him “more than the party brand” helped get him over the line. “Just stop doing this,” he said to plotters. “Just look like we're up for it. Acknowledge that this was the worst defeat the Conservative Party has ever faced, hold your hands up. Understand that we messed up for the final two years of the last government, but get out there and win.” He argued that politicians now “need to make brands of themselves” not just rely on their parties to succeed. “People like [shadow cabinet members] Andrew Griffiths, Chris Philp and Robert Jenrick, they're making brands for themselves, and they look like they're up for it. Kemi has now started to do that as well.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies govt and politics"},{"score":0.876804,"label":"/law govt and politics/politics/political parties"},{"score":0.865921,"label":"/law govt and politics/politics/elections/local elections"},{"score":0.806149,"label":"/law govt and politics/government/parliament"},{"score":0.663205,"label":"/society/work/unemployment"},{"score":0.572707,"label":"/law govt and politics/government/government contracting and procurement"},{"score":0.495259,"label":"/law says top pollster John Curtice","description":"Exclusive: Curtice warns that Starmer’s failings have opened the door for Reform Nigel Farage has declared a "big moment" in British politics as Reform makes gains from Labour and the Tories in local elections across the country Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Nigel Farage has declared two-party politics "is finished" after Reform UK gained a new MP and took control of councils across the country The Reform leader addressed supporters in Durham following a day of successive victories in the local elections which he said showed his party was now "the main opposition" to the government Politics Live: Could Reform finally get a toehold of power? The day began with Reform narrowly winning the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes overturning the 14,700 majority secured by Labour at the general election less than 12 months ago The insurgent party has also taken Lincolnshire Staffordshire and Lancashire councils from the Tories and gained control of Durham where Labour was previously the biggest party Mr Farage mocked Sir Keir Starmer for declaring at Prime Minister's Questions recently that Reform "will have the Conservative Party for breakfast" which was: we were going to have the Labour Party for lunch and we've done that today," the Clacton MP said claiming to have "wiped them out" and that they no longer have any relevance "Today marks the end of two-party politics - it is finished" The by-election in Runcorn was called after the previous MP, Mike Amesbury, resigned following his conviction for punching a constituent. Reform candidate Sarah Pochin won with 12,645 votes compared to the 12,639 secured by Labour's Karen Shore making it the closest by-election result since records began in 1945 It comes as a major blow to Sir Keir Starmer who is facing calls from his own MPs to change course and reverse some of the recent spending cuts he has introduced Speaking to reporters on Friday morning, the prime minister told Sky News he "gets it" and would "reflect" on the result "We've got to deliver that change more quickly and go further than we've gone so far" he defended taking "tough but right decisions" in his first 10 months saying Labour "inherited a broken economy" from the Tories "Maybe other prime ministers would have walked past that pretended it wasn't there (...) I took the choice to make sure our economy was stable," Sir Keir said voters on Thursday took part in contests to elect more than 1,600 councillors across 23 local authorities along with four regional mayors and two local mayors Mr Farage's party was storming ahead by early Friday afternoon gaining Durham County Council from No Overall Control (NOC) while wiping out the Tories' majority to take control of Staffordshire County Council Lincolnshire County Council and Lancashire former Conservative minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns was elected as the first mayor in Greater Lincolnshire winning a majority of almost 40,000 over her ex-party Analysis: Reform has put the two traditional parties on notice losing their majority in places including Northumberland there was one success story as they gained the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoralty from Labour Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch was defiant in a post on X saying the renewal of her party has "only just begun" and she would "win back the trust of the public and the seats we've lost in the years to come" Tory co-chairman Nigel Huddleston dismissed Reform's success telling Sky News: "They are emerging into a populist popular party but trying to transcend and promise everything to everybody That is not a long-term sustainable position." in a fluent victory speech that suggested she’ll be a competent House of Commons performer declared that the voters of the Runcorn and Helsby constituency had had enough of Tory failures and Labour lies in a typically ebullient Sky News interview Mr Farage said: “Britain is broken.” He also predicted more wins for his party in local government elections later on Friday there will be a huge inquest into how they came so close to holding the seat and lost by just six votes Many Labour MPs and party members will condemn Sir Keir Starmer for not bothering to visit the constituency to campaign for their candidate Karen Shore he’s a tireless campaigner with a stamina that astounds even members of his inner circle His relentless tenacity has paid off handsomely Other party leaders – with the notable exception of Sir Ed Davey – take note Sir Keir sat on his hands and Kemi Badenoch was invisible too And they’ve both paid the price: humiliation Mr Farage announced he was heading off for a bacon sandwich Sir Keir said Mr Farage would “eat the Tory party for breakfast” But in Runcorn and Helsby - and many other parts of the UK - he’s just eaten Labour for breakfast as well There was also some good news for Labour on Friday as it held on to the North Tyneside mayoralty in the first vote of the night - albeit by just 444 votes Labour also saw off Reform in the West of England and Doncaster to retain both mayoralties with Labour's Ros Jones clinging on by 698 votes Ms Jones criticised decisions to means-test the winter fuel allowance hike employers' national insurance contributions and squeeze welfare She told the BBC: "I think the results here tonight will demonstrate that they need to be listening to the man Her comments have been echoed by several Labour MPs with Brian Leishman saying that people voted for an end to austerity in the general election and Sir Keir's first 10 months in office "haven't been good enough or what the people want" "If we don't improve people's living standards then the next government will be an extreme right-wing one," the Scottish MP warned on X People voted for real change last July & an end to austerity The first 10 months haven’t been good enough or what the people want & if we don’t improve people’s living standards then the next government will be an extreme right wing one A tone deaf response from Labour spokespeople We must listen to and heed the message voters have delivered and we must respond to it by changing the lives of working class people for the better with polices that transform the economic situation.If we do not improve the… in the nearby Liverpool constituency of Riverside also said Runcorn "is a warning we can't ignore" adding: "Voters want change - and if we don't offer it with bold urged the party leadership to "truly reflect and change course" saying the response of spokespeople to the results on Friday has been "tone deaf" Labour chairwoman Ellie Reeves had said incumbent governments "never tend to do very well in parliamentary by-elections" and Runcorn was held in "very difficult circumstances" She also said that people were "impatient for change" but change "doesn't happen overnight" and data and economics editor Ed Conway will be live on Friday morning to report and explain the results This liveblog is now closed. See all of our local elections coverage here has claimed that these elections mark “the beginning of the end of the Conservative party” Speaking at a rally in Consett in Country Durham [This is] the beginning of the end of the Conservative party They may well have been around since 1832 and the Great Reform Act but they’ve been wiped out in the shires of England south-western areas where they’ve got their members given those mayoral contests in both Donny [Doncaster] and indeed North Tyneside is that whilst we clearly are the main challenges to Labour in the Midlands and the north if you vote Conservative you stop our chances of winning But if you vote Reform in the Midlands and the north "This is the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party."Reform UK leader @Nigel_Farage speaks from Consett as his party takes control of Lancashire Council, adding "We are clearly the main challengers to Labour in the Midlands and the North."https://t.co/TC2ROCL7wW pic.twitter.com/JTKO7xChrY There are still some council results to come in and you can keep up to date with those in our results tracker: Read moreYou can also find all our local elections 2025 coverage here and take a look at how the big parties fared in Peter Walker’s verdict: Read moreBelow is a summary of the key events from today: In further signs of fracturing political loyalties, a BBC projection of how the voting would have looked in a UK-wide election put Reform first on 30%, Labour on 20%, the Liberal Democrats on 17% the Conservatives fourth with 15% and the Greens on 11% Farage said the elections marked “the beginning of the end of the Conservative party” Toasting newly elected councillors in Staffordshire Farage said the results of the local and mayoral elections represented a “seismic” change in British politics He said the next target for Reform UK would be the Welsh and Scottish parliamentary elections The Liberal Democrats made renewed gains in previously Conservative heartlands taking control in Oxfordshire as the Tories lost 15 seats and also taking over in Cambridgeshire and Shropshire The Greens picked up dozens of new councillors and came third in the West of England mayoral race Lib Dem leader Ed Davey claimed Friday’s results had put his party on track to overtake the Tories at the next general election He also said the Lib Dems had replaced the Tories as the “party of middle England” More surprising was the scale of Labour losses with the party losing proportionally fewer seats than the Tories such as a net loss of 38 seats in Durham and 27 in Lancashire Speaking on a visit to a defence factory in Luton We were elected in last year to bring about change … I am determined that we will go further and faster on the change that people want to see.” Kemi Badenoch apologised to Conservative councillors who lost their seats on Friday The Conservative party leader said that while the public were “fed up” with Labour they were not yet ready to trust the Tories Earlier on Friday Badenoch said the elections were always going to be difficult for Tories and renewal of her party had “only just begun” Ros Jones held off Reform UK to keep the Doncaster mayoralty but was among the most vocal critics of Starmer’s record on Friday highlighting cuts to the winter fuel allowance as a subject stoking voters’ anger as well as reductions in disability payments and a rise in national insurance There was also criticism from a number of Labour MPs albeit with those going public tending to be from the left of the party Updated at 21.08 CEST3d ago21.00 CESTLabour will have to take Thursday’s local election results “on the chin”, a senior cabinet minister has said. I think when you get poor results, there’s no point in soft soaping it or trying to dance around it, they are poor results, anybody can see that looking at them. You’ve got to take that on the chin when you’re in government. This happens at local elections sometimes and you’ve got to respond to them. Saying he could “understand people’s sense of anger and frustration”, he insisted that the government was bringing change to the country, reports the PA news agency. We have got to keep our foot on the gas, keep changing things and the critical heart of it is people want to see their living standards go up and those waiting lists go down. 3d ago20.54 CESTStaffordshire county council under the Conservatives was “very woke” Speaking to reporters at Staffordshire county showground on Friday Here in Staffordshire we are now in charge I have been perfectly clear about the excesses of expenditure about the different areas that this very woke county council under the Conservatives have been involved in County councils are there to perform basic functions for taxpayers We want to slim down the size of local government and re-prioritise it on what its job really is Reform UK leader Nigel Farage attends a post-election event at the Staffordshire county showground. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPAThe government now has a “real problem” after Reform UK’s local and mayoral election wins, Farage added. He said: They’ve got a bit of headache now haven’t they? In the House of Commons the other day, Keir Starmer said ‘Nigel Farage will eat the Conservatives for breakfast’. I think he forgot – we’re going to eat the Labour party for lunch as well. He’s got a real problem. There is a sense of unfairness, bordering on resentment, that tens of thousands of young men come into our country, get put up in hotels, get given everything. In Staffordshire they even get given driving lessons, and it’s the people with alarm clocks that get up in the morning, go to work and pay ever more tax to fund it. I think with this government, this issue could do them as much harm as it did the last Conservative government. 3d ago20.50 CESTBefore this week’s local elections, John Harris was on the road in Doncaster. You can listen to his reporting in the podcast linked below: says FarageReform UK leader Nigel Farage said the results of the local and mayoral elections represents “seismic” change in British politics Speaking in Staffordshire I have been doing this game for about 30 years and in many ways what happened last night is without a doubt the most significant day in my political career It is a seismic change in British politics It is of a proportion nobody could even have dreamt of we want to reestablish the right values around family As Reform UK councillors proposed a toast to the party leader, Farage was offered someone’s half-finished glass of champagne, which he finished. He joked: “Having not been to bed yet, that does taste rather good.” 3d ago20.19 CESTThe next target for Reform UK will be the Welsh and Scottish parliamentary elections, leader Nigel Farage has said, as he celebrated the party taking control of Staffordshire county council. I honestly believe, we have cleared this hurdle, next year we will go for the Welsh and Scottish parliamentary elections, and I believe we can and we will win that next general election. Farage gave a warning to those working in certain policy areas at Staffordshire county council. He said: Maybe a bit of a warning if you do work for Staffordshire county council and you are involved in climate change policy, or involved with DEI, or anything like that. It may be time to go and look for a different job because we want county councils to do what they are there to do. They are not there to fight climate change, they are not there to waste money the way they have been. Why don’t we say no to the massive wind farm proposed at Staffordshire Moorlands? Why don’t we say no to the huge 120 football pitch solar farm proposed at Cheadle? And we must say no to spending £18,000 on giving asylum seekers driving lessons. I wish you all the luck in the world – it won’t be easy, it will be a learning curve, but it is an incredible opportunity. 3d ago20.14 CESTNigel Farage says he believes Reform UK can win the next general election after witnessing “historic” local election gains for the party. Speaking to newly elected Reform UK councillors at Staffordshire county showground on Friday, the party leader said he did not want to hear any more about any deals with the Conservatives. About half an hour ago John Curtice on the BBC has put out his projection of what these elections would mean had a general election taken place across the whole of the UK. The figures are remarkable. They show us at the general election on 30%, the Labour party on 20%, the Liberal Democrats on 17% and the Conservatives on 15%. That would mean the Conservatives would only win 12 seats. We would have a massive majority. I don’t want to hear any more about deals with the Conservative party. They betrayed trust over the course of 14 years, we are going to chart our own course. It is truly a historic day. 3d ago20.10 CESTFarage says Conservative party is 'over' and Reform UK’s successes in local elections 'spell the end of two-party politics'Nigel Farage has said the Conservative party is “over” and will never be able to recover as he addressed new Reform councillors in Staffordshire Speaking at Staffordshire county showground on Friday evening, the Reform UK leader said: the British submarine sunk the pride of the Argentinian fleet a motor torpedo boat with me at the helm and all of you on the back they have literally been gutted in these counties it is a position from which they will never Up north what we have seen is that if you vote Conservative we clearly are the challengers to the government so that is something we will be pushing over the course of the next couple of years Reform UK’s successes in the local elections “spell the end of two-party politics” Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (C) attends a post-election event at the Staffordshire county showground. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPAThe Reform UK leader visited Staffordshire to congratulate the party’s newly elected councillors on Friday and celebrated the party taking control of the county council with champagne. The result clearly spells the end of two-party politics as we’ve known it all our life. But actually there is something much more significant happening in these shires. Here in the heart of England and in many other places too, these are the areas the Conservative party has relied on for ever. These are the areas where they have councillors, these area are where the activists work with the councillors, areas where they have strong fundraising, strong branches, strong membership. We are witnessing the death of a party that has been around for almost 200 years. They cannot, they will not recover from that position. 3d ago20.04 CESTReform UK win control of Doncaster council from LabourReform UK have won control of Doncaster council from Labour in another blow to Keir Starmer in his party’s traditional heartlands Reform UK have taken 29 seats on the council, with Labour on three and Conservatives two, with several results still to be declared, according to the PA news agency. Labour previously controlled the council with 41 seats, with Conservatives on 11 and independents on three. 3d ago19.41 CESTLib Dems take control of Shropshire councilThe Liberal Democrats have taken control of Shropshire council after winning the 38 seats needed for a majority The council was previously in no overall control (NOC) with the Conservatives on 37 seats and the Lib Dems 18 The Lib Dems need 38 seats for an overall majority here. I’ll update once there is a confirmation of the results. Updated at 19.27 CEST3d ago19.23 CESTNigel Farage has declared a new dawn before, but this time things could really be different, writes my colleague Kiran Stacey. who has represented South Shields since 2013 If you promise people that you will be focused on serving the public and then do not listen to them denial of compensation for the Waspi women And, referring to Starmer’s post-election comments (see 11.35am BST), Lewell wrote: It is tone deaf to keep repeating we will move further and faster on our plan for change. 3d ago19.12 CESTFarage suggests Reform UK could cut DEI jobs and working from homeNigel Farage has told BBC Look North that Reform UK will be a “radical a breath of fresh air in county hall” and that his party will have a “very different approach to local government” He also suggested that Reform UK could cut diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) jobs and working from home. Farage told the BBC: There is too much wasteful expenditure, and trying to do too many things, we want to try and change that. If you work from home, forget it. If you’re a DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] officer, I suggest you look for another job. 3d ago19.00 CESTDavey claims today's results put Lib Dems on track to overtake Tories at next general electionVoters have “chosen our community politics over the Conservative party’s neglect and disdain”, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has said. We have overtaken the Conservatives at these local elections, putting us on track to overtake them at the next general election too. From Wiltshire to Oxfordshire, from Shropshire to Devon, the Liberal Democrats have replaced the Conservatives as the party of middle England. Lifelong Conservative voters have put their faith in the Liberal Democrats because they are appalled by the Conservatives lurching to the extremes and cosying up to Nigel Farage. Kemi Badenoch sneered at the Liberal Democrats for being the party that will fix your church roof. Today voters across the country have chosen our community politics over the Conservative party’s neglect and disdain.” The new council has the Lib Dems as the largest party with 31, Conservatives on 22 Labour and Greens five each and one independent The Conservatives had 199 seats, down 411, and Labour 56, after losing 137 seats, leaving Keir Starmer’s party one behind the Greens, who were up 29, while independents had 55 councillors, down 61. 3d ago18.41 CESTKemi Badenoch has said that Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK are all threats to the Conservatives. This is a very competitive political environment, all of the parties have always been competitors to us. They are all threats, whether it’s Labour, Lib Dem or Reform, and the way we win is by making sure that people can see that this is an authentic Conservative party that stays true to its principles and its values, and that those values reflect the values of the majority of people in the country. 3d ago18.35 CESTThe Liberal Democrats have said they have replaced the Tories as the “party of middle England” after winning control of Oxfordshire county council for the first time A Lib Dem spokesperson shared the following statement: We have replaced the Conservatives as the party of middle England Kemi Badenoch’s party have taken a pasting at these elections in a set of results that can only been described as a humiliation The Lib Dems also won control of Cambridgeshire county council for the first time (see 5.27pm BST) The Lib Dems gained 16 seats in Oxfordshire to win the council from no overall control (NOC), with Greens up four, Conservatives down eight The Lib Dems also gained control of Cambridgeshire from NOC after picking up eight seats, with Reform UK gaining 10 and Greens three Result will heighten government’s fears it could lose scores of MPs to Nigel Farage’s party at next general election Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has dramatically won the Runcorn and Helsby byelection by just six votes in a blow to Keir Starmer’s premiership The hard-right party narrowly overturned Labour’s 14,700-vote majority in the first full-scale electoral test of Starmer’s government and set a new record for the smallest majority at a parliamentary by-election since the end of the second world war The result, which came on a night when Reform UK was expected to gain hundreds of council seats across England followed a 17% swing from Labour to Farage’s party After a recount that delayed the declaration by three hours Reform’s Sarah Pochin won 38.6% of the vote – amounting to 12,645 votes making it one of the smallest margins of victory in recent UK political history The Conservatives slumped from 16% of the vote at last year’s general election to 7% in this contest narrowly finishing ahead of the Green party in third place The closely watched contest had been billed as the first real test of Farage’s ability to turn his party’s rising popularity into seats in parliament a former Tory councillor and local magistrate becomes the first non-Labour MP to represent the Cheshire town of Runcorn in 52 years Arriving at the count centre to declare victory at 6am on Friday Farage said: “Here and across the country you’re seeing big swings to us from Labour in the north and Conservatives in the Midlands and the south absolutely no question and it’s happening right across everywhere.” Farage said the result sent a clear message that “we are now the opposition” and that if voters backed the Conservatives then they would “just get a Labour government” 0:40Nigel Farage says Reform is now main opposition party after local election gains – videoDespite the tiny margin of victory the result will heighten fears among Labour MPs that they could lose scores of seats to the hard-right populist party at the next general election refused to speak to the media as she was ushered out of the count centre at the DCBL Stadium in Widnes The Cheshire byelection was triggered by the resignation of Labour’s Mike Amesbury the former MP who was convicted earlier this year of punching a constituent Farage’s party sought to make immigration the key issue in this overwhelmingly white British corner of north-west England houses of multiple occupancy and even Turkish barbers Reform UK also attacked Labour’s cutting of the winter fuel payment – an issue repeatedly raised by voters – as well as its early release of prisoners and the rising cost of energy bills delivering Reform UK its fifth MP and establishing the fledgling party has a serious challenger to Britain’s two main parties In her victory speech Pochin said: “Enough is enough I want to thank every one of you who were brave enough to put a cross against my name on the ballot paper.” Free daily newsletterOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day telling you what’s happening and why it matters She said the result would “inspire the rest of the country to believe that they too can stand up for what is right and stand up for our British values” The result appears to back up recent opinion polls that suggested the anti-European Union populists were on course to topple Britain’s historic two-party system at the next general election Despite Runcorn and Helsby being one of Labour’s safest seats, the party faced a challenge to win over voters from the beginning given it was sparked by Amesbury violently assaulting a constituent in a drunken late-night row Shore was criticised for launching a Facebook petition to close a hotel housing asylum seekers in what some saw as a cynical attempt to stem the flow of votes to Reform UK denied her campaign was “prejudiced” but admitted “that the tone of it could’ve been slightly different – and the fact it was exploited by the populists” Campaigners from both parties repeatedly said the result was “too close to call” downplaying talk of a decisive victory for either side Turnout in the contest was a higher-than-expected 46.33% which some on the count floor attributed to the “Farage factor” – a reference to the Reform UK leader’s ability to provoke strong opinion on either side There were bizarre scenes at the count centre when Reform UK officials announced that Farage was expected to arrive imminently about 30 minutes before the result was expected – a sign they were confident of victory But as camera crews and officials gathered some holding the door open for their soon-to-arrive leader Journalists were then told he was instead waiting in a car near the venue perhaps as word reached him that it was too soon to declare a win Backbenchers accuse PM and his team of complacency questioning policies and why he did not visit Runcorn Keir Starmer is under fire from Labour MPs after losing his first byelection in government to Nigel Farage’s party by just six votes Backbenchers have accused the prime minister and his team of complacency about the Runcorn and Helsby contest and questioned why he did not visit the constituency during the campaign One senior Labour MP said: “I was quite shocked at how complacent the campaign was especially in Runcorn but nationally as well “Everyone seemed convinced we were going to win by a reasonably comfortable margin The NHS message does not work against Farage or the fact that Keir’s unpopularity was brought up on almost every door.” The result has prompted fresh criticism of the government’s decision to implement cuts to winter fuel allowance and disability benefits said the party needed to “admit that some mistakes were made Speaking on Times Radio she said the result in Runcorn would “throw up some big questions about the strategy and the operation” A second Labour MP said: “The boys in No 10 should spend less time briefing about who’s driving the train and more time actually getting on with building the tracks.” The same MP added: “People haven’t felt the change we promised and they are fed up after 14 years of a hard time under the Tories They will start looking for answers elsewhere “I worry we are taking the people we built the party to represent – the working class – for granted We were elected to fix public services and raise living standards and we’ve really got to start doing that.” A third Labour MP said: “It’s all very well for No 10 to say we’ve got to keep delivering The problem is that it’s the stuff we’ve delivered that people hate.” Farage hailed a “big moment” in British politics after Reform UK won the byelection. Its paper-thin victory, the smallest majority at a parliamentary byelection since the end of the second world war, was confirmed overnight after a recount Reform also won hundreds of council seats in England, winning Staffordshire and Lincolnshire councils from the Conservatives and taking control of Durham county council Labour retained the North Tyneside mayoralty by just 444 votes over Reform’s John Falkenstein 0:40Nigel Farage says Reform is now main opposition party after local election gains – videoNeither Starmer nor Kemi Badenoch visited the Runcorn and Helsby constituency during the campaign The prime minister admitted the byelection result was “disappointing” and told reporters on Friday: “My response is we get it We were elected in last year to bring about change.” He vowed to go “further and faster” in delivering it He defended the decision to cut winter fuel allowance telling Sky News that the choices made in the budget “were tough decisions A government source said that while “everyone knew it was super-close” Labour figures believed they would win Runcorn and Helsby because “the last 10 days or so the [canvassing] returns were quite good” “You have to keep telling yourself that Reform doesn’t necessarily show up in the data,” the source said “You end up with a big chunk of non-voters [who] aren’t contactable and don’t show up in polling.” Another government source conceded it had been a “very strong result” for Reform but argued that the circumstances of the byelection made it very difficult for Labour. It was triggered after the incumbent Labour MP, Mike Amesbury, violently assaulted a constituent in a drunken late-night row and people are going to be pissed off about having to go out and vote,” the source said Labour’s losses have thrown the spotlight on Starmer’s popularity ratings, which plummeted after the general election in July One Green party campaigner who knocked on doors in Runcorn and for council elections in Lancashire said they picked up unprecedented levels of dislike for Labour – for Starmer in particular “In Runcorn, the Labour message was, ‘Vote Labour or get Nigel Farage,’ and quite a lot of people seemed to go I’ll take Farage.’ I’ve been doing this for a decade and I’ve never seen this level of dislike for Labour particularly from people who were willing to give them a chance last year and feel they were given false hope,” the activist said ‘Are you Labour?’ When I told him I was a Green he calmed down.” MPs on the Labour left publicly criticised Starmer and said his government’s agenda was to blame for the defeat the veteran Labour leftwinger and longest-serving female MP in the Commons said on X: “Labour leadership saying the party will go further and faster in the same direction it is our current direction that is the problem.” posted on X that “the first 10 months haven’t been good enough or what the people want” Loyalist Labour MPs said their party should not be obsessing about the politics of the next election when it had a huge majority and four years left in this parliament and should instead be focusing on good policy We have a gigantic majority and acres of time before the next election,” one said our tax base and the engineering capability two energy services companies in Aberdeen have fallen into administration "},"children":[]},{"name":"link","attributes":{"href":"https://www.thetimes.com/article/tony-blair-net-zero-comments-valid-steve-reed-ph3pzfk57","type":"article","canonicalId":"tony-blair-net-zero-comments-valid-steve-reed-ph3pzfk57"},"children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Grangemouth has ceased processing North Sea oil"},"children":[]}]},{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" and industry giants Wood and Petrofac have suspended shares amid their respective financial worries."},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Over the course of this week that ripple has wiped out nearly 1,000 jobs — and many fear far bigger waves are coming our way by"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":125})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Ed Miliband has been accused of adopting a “computer says no” approach in the drive towards net zero by ignoring 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"},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"The energy"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":225})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Ed Miliband has been accused of adopting a “computer says no” approach in the drive towards net zero But how did we get there and what is the reality?","slug":"britain-net-zero-2050","categoryPath":"/uk/environment/article/britain-net-zero-2050-r6gnv9mhw","__typename":"Article","summary({\"maxCharCount\":105})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"It is December 31 crowds watch the hands of Big Ben"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":125})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"It is December 31 crowds watch the hands of Big Ben approach midnight In"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":145})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"It is December 31 a pumped"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":160})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"It is December 31 a pumped storage scheme"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":175})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"It is December 31 a pumped storage scheme built precisely"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":225})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"It is December 31 a pumped storage scheme built precisely for when conditions are crisp and windless Qatar and Saudi Arabia must be punching the airSteve GrayFriday May 02 2025 The TimesThe UK government’s industrial-scale gaslighting of the public on energy is damaging the climate and deindustrialising our economy at an unprecedented pace It is destroying domestic jobs, energy security, our tax base and the engineering capability. In the past few days, two energy services companies in Aberdeen have fallen into administration, Grangemouth has ceased processing North Sea oil and industry giants Wood and Petrofac have suspended shares amid their respective financial worries Over the course of this week, that ripple has wiped out nearly 1,000 jobs — and many fear far bigger waves are coming our way. The by-election result in Runcorn — a constituency full of energy workers — is therefore not a surprise and should serve as a wake-up call to Sir British politics have never been more fragmented, writes Jonathan Tonge One story dominates the elections held on May 1 in England: the dramatic Reform surge. The Runcorn and Helsby by-election was a stunning win for Nigel Farage’s party Labour’s 49th safest seat – supposedly safer than the prime minister’s – was hardly natural Farage territory. The town of Runcorn – Liverpool overspill mainly – makes up 60 per cent of the constituency Labour won more votes than all other parties combined in the general election of July 2024. Yet less than a year later, Reform has captured the seat overturning a majority of 14,700 – albeit with the smallest ever by-election majority This has delivered Reform its first woman MP, former Conservative councillor Sarah Pochin. Her arrival brings the party up to five MPs (a sixth having been suspended from the party earlier this year) Labour has only once retained office at the next general election after losing a seat at a by-election less than one year after forming a government A narrow loss to the Conservatives in Leyton in 1965 was sandwiched between 1964 and 1966 general election triumphs The norm is for new governments to enjoy a honeymoon. No such joy for Keir Starmer’s Labour Farage has made what is being called an economic “left turn” in a bid to attract Labour voters. He continues to push for tougher immigration policies but is now also backing greater nationalisation, including for British steel Starmer benefited from intra-right tussling between the Conservatives and Reform in July – the split vote on the right contributed to his loveless landslide But things look different now Reform has shown it can take on Labour and win And while the Conservatives were never in the running in this by-election Farage’s assessment was that “after tonight in most of the country we are now the main opposition party to this government” Given that the Conservatives have 20 times the number of MPs as Reform But Reform has more members and is well funded Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has compared her position to that of William Hague when he took over a Conservative party battered by Labour’s landslide win in 1997 Hague was similarly crushed at the next general election Yet for the Conservatives there remained the prospect of an eventual swing back of the pendulum As the fragmentation of politics gathers pace under the Reform surge has made clear that the right of British politics will be obliged to unite or both will fail They believe Reform has yet to be properly scrutinised and could fade Yet Reform may continue to upend the old certainties of the Conservative-Labour duopoly British electoral politics have never been more fragmented and Farage is the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next prime minister Jonathan Tonge is a Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool This article was originally published by The Conversation and is republished under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article govt and politics"},{"score":0.876975,"label":"/law govt and politics/politics/political parties"},{"score":0.828304,"label":"/law govt and politics/government/parliament"},{"score":0.801247,"label":"/law govt and politics/politics/elections/local elections"},{"score":0.678335,"label":"/society/work/unemployment"},{"score":0.556856,"label":"/law It’s been an eventful day – and there are still many more local election results to go Nigel Farage’s Reform party clinched the win in what had been a Labour safe seat by just six votes – securing a fifth parliamentarian and their first female MP While the Reform lot could hardly contain their glee the Labour team struggled to disguise their dejection Now Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made his first statement on the result admitting to reporters that ‘the results are disappointing’ for the reds I could stand here and say to you ‘opposition parties always do well in elections like this etcetera.’ What I want to say is my response is: we get it Already a subscriber? Log in Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike Sarah Pochin becomes Reform UK’s fifth MP and its first female representative in parliament 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 is a former Conservative councillor and mayor for Cheshire East. As a member of the Conservative Party, she was pictured smiling alongside various big names including former prime ministers Liz Truss, Boris Johnson and Theresa May She also stood as the Conservative Party’s candidate in Bolton South East in 2017 coming a distant second to Labour’s Yasmin Qureshi She was expelled from the Conservative group on the Cheshire East council in 2020 after being elected mayor instead of the official Tory candidate with the support of Labour and independent councillors two years later when she wanted to vote in the Tory leadership election after Boris Johnson’s resignation she was forced out of the independent group on the council after rejoining the Conservatives in the wake of Mr Johnson’s ousting as leader and even volunteered to quit the party immediately after achieving her aim of voting in the leadership contest Ms Pochin has also been a magistrate in Cheshire for 20 years before becoming a Tory councillor She introduced herself to voters with a video highlighting her focus on British pride Her father was in the army and she said she has a huge commitment to the defence of Great Britain The Reform MP added that family “is the bedrock” of the country and called for more to be done to ensure young people are proud to be British She has spoken frequently about being a mother to grown up children and she said she likes to take an hour each morning to do pilates and unwind Ms Pochin has recently played down her own past support for refugees in the constituency After being pictured at a “refugees welcome” event, she stressed that her support only includes asylum seekers, branding those who cross the English Channel to enter Britain “illegal economic migrants”. Her views on migration mean she will likely slip into Reform’s parliamentary ranks seamlessly, describing immigrants as “flooding our country” and calling for those seeking asylum in Britain to “stop in France or any other country in Europe before that”. But she does have local priorities, and has promised to campaign on issues including a new leisure centre and cinema for the area as well as railing against the price of a toll road from Runcorn to nearby Widnes. During the campaign, it was revealed that she was previously reprimanded for using her status as a magistrate to influence colleagues. She also historically expressed support for means-testing the winter fuel payment, a position which is at odds with Mr Farage and Reform’s fervent opposition to Labour’s decision to withdraw it from millions of pensioners. Speaking after winning the by-election, Ms Pochin said voters had made clear "enough is enough". "Enough Tory failure, enough Labour lies," she said. She added that illegal immigration was a "massive issue" for Runcorn. Ms Pochin said: "People are living next to private landlord accommodation full of illegal immigrants that are causing people's lives hell. "That is an issue that we will absolutely be looking at as the priority." She claimed constituents were "frightened to go out of their houses". She added: "It's a whole area that we will be looking at in detail." Reform UK has been dealt three reality checks as the results of May 1's local elections pour in. Nigel Farage's party is emerging as the clear winner, pipping Labour to the post at the Runcorn and Helsby by-election and Tory defector Dame Andrea Jenkyns winning the Greater Lincolnshire mayoralty. The buzz is intoxicating, but Reform faces formidable challenges as it attempts to become a party of government, explains elections guru John Curtice. The most "crucial" point to understand is that "who wins in terms of votes and who gains in terms of seats is not necessarily the same thing", he tells GB News. Reform hit with three massive plot twists from Britain's top elections guru after Runcorn by-election win This has been a sore point for Reform since the last General Election. Thanks to the quirks of Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system, Reform won only five MPs despite coming second to Labour in 98 constituencies, as the party's vote share was spread thinly across many constituencies as opposed to being concentrated. It's also worth acknowledging that a strong showing at the local elections is not necessarily a proxy for electoral success, Curtice notes. This election is being talked up because of Reform's rapid rise, but local elections have historically had a low turnout, he points out. "I think the buzz stretches to about half a square metre beyond SW1," he told GB News. However, the elections guru points out that a third party can still upset the apple cart - especially one that's neck and neck in the polls with Conservatives and Labour. When the vote share is evenly split in this way, tiny differences can produce dramatic effects, Curtice explains. The third humbling factor is that we may be experiencing "peak Reform", the elections guru says. A strong showing at the local elections is not necessarily a proxy for electoral success, John Curtice notes Curtice explained: "Reform is appealing to voters who believe in Brexit, are concerned about immigration, and tend to be on the conservative side of the culture wars arguments." In other words, older male voters who are less educated, he says, adding that there's a limit to how much Reform can tap this base. Furthermore, Labour barely increased its support in the Red Wall at the last General Election - and those voters who ditched the party in 2019 have not returned, Curtice points out. "At the present moment, there are no big winners. We're talking about a deeply fragmented politics," he added. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has secured victory by six votes over Labour in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election as a former Tory minister became the party’s first elected mayor In one of the closest parliamentary contests ever new MP Sarah Pochin took the seat which Labour won with a majority of almost 14,700 less than a year ago The result came as Reform made gains against both Labour and the Conservatives across England in local votes with Mr Farage claiming a “big moment” was taking place in UK politics Former Conservative minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns was elected for Reform UK as the first Greater Lincolnshire mayor with a majority of almost 40,000 over her former party the party looks set to gain control of Staffordshire County Council after taking 24 of the 30 seats to be counted overnight with the Conservatives winning the other six It means when counting resumes later on Friday the party needs to win just eight more seats to have a majority on the council The Runcorn and Helsby by-election ran alongside local elections across England having been triggered when former Labour MP Mike Amesbury quit after admitting punching a constituent Amesbury won 53% of the vote at the general election – and the defeat along with Reform gains in other Labour heartlands He said it was a sign that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had “alienated so much of his traditional base, it’s just extraordinary”. Reform’s victory by just six votes set a new record for the smallest majority at a parliamentary by-election since the end of the Second World War. The Runcorn declaration was delayed as the close nature of the contest led to a recount, with Mr Farage forced to wait before arriving at the count centre in Widnes for his moment of triumph. In her speech after winning the seat, Ms Pochin said voters had made clear “enough is enough”. “Enough Tory failure, enough Labour lies,” she said. 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”. Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves acknowledged voters were “impatient” but insisted “change takes time”. She suggested Reform would face greater scrutiny after its electoral gains. “There’s been a lot of noise from Reform, a lot of hype from Reform, but actually people will now, I think, take a closer look at some of their policies,” Ms Reeves told Sky News. “We had 14 years of chaos under the Conservatives. Public services and the public finances were left in a state,” she told Times Radio. “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.” However, Doncaster’s 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.” As well as the Runcorn by-election, voters on Thursday took part in contests to elect more than 1,600 councillors across 23 local authorities, along with four regional mayors and two local mayors. In a speech after winning the race in Greater Lincolnshire, during which her rivals walked offstage, Dame Andrea said there would be “an end to soft-touch Britain” after Reform UK’s gains in the polls. “The fight back to save the heart and soul of our great country has now begun,” she said. She claimed the campaign “was also filled with irony as one of the candidates stated I was parachuted in, she said in her South African accent.” Dame Andrea, who defected to Reform after losing her parliamentary seat in last year’s general election, also appeared to suggest that migrants crossing the Channel should be housed in tents rather than hotels. “Tents are good enough for France, they should be good enough for here in Britain,” the new mayor said. Asked later whether she thought those remarks indicated a divisive way of conducting politics, she said: “I think it’s what the silent majority think.” Pressed on whether she believed asylum seekers should be put in tents, she said “genuine asylum seekers like Ukraine et cetera” were “a different matter”. Asked whether she thought people with certain accents could not be from Lincolnshire, she said: “I think actually I’m not going to answer any more of your questions. “I think that your questioning is quite divisive, you’re looking into things when it was a little play with words, it was a little joke because of the irony. Do you not understand irony?” There was some good news for Labour as the party held the West of England mayoralty, with Helen Godwin beating Reform’s Arron Banks by 5,945 votes, with the Green Party’s Mary Page in third. The party held the North Tyneside mayoralty, although with a majority of just 444 ahead of Reform in second place. The Tories said the change Sir Keir delivered had been “roundly rejected” and Labour MPs will “rightfully question his leadership” after Reform’s by-election win. A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Now we know why Keir Starmer never bothered to visit the area.” The Tories, in Kemi Badenoch’s first electoral test as leader, were also suffering at the hands of Reform and could also be squeezed by the Liberal Democrats. Conservative frontbencher Helen Whately told the BBC’s Newsnight programme: “We’re going to get a real battering in these elections.” Shadow communities secretary Kevin Hollinrake acknowledged the party was on course to lose around 500 councillors. He told the BBC: “We thought we’d lose half our seats.” If it was worse, “that would be very disappointing”, Mr Hollinrake added. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “We are expecting to see big gains against the Conservatives in their former Middle England heartlands.” The Green Party was also hoping for success in local contests, with co-leader Carla Denyer saying: “We are taking seats from both the Conservatives and Labour up and down the country as voters, understandably, move away from the tired old parties that have let us all down.” Inside WestminsterRomping Reform shows two-party politics has been smashed to piecesWith the Lib Dems and Greens in the mix alongside Reform, five-party politics is the new normal – so will our antiquated first-past-the-post voting system be next to go, asks Andrew Grice show that Keir Starmer’s strategy of portraying his government as “disruptors” isn’t working Standards – not structures – matter (as Blair himself argued on education policy) Labour must show tangible improvements to public services and living standards – and soon Two measures that will hit some people in the pocket (means-testing the winter fuel allowance and cutting disability benefits) loomed large on the doorsteps ahead of these elections Starmer’s instinct is to double down on his strategy – to go “further and faster” in delivering his “plan for change” But his internal critics say presenting the prime minister as a disruptor who wants to smash a broken system is not “authentic Starmer” the “Sir” before “Keir” makes him an unlikely revolutionary to play to Starmer’s strengths as providing solid grown-up leadership – as voters acknowledged he has done recently on the world stage But what is Keir’s?” one senior Labour figure asked Starmer’s trump card against Farage could be patriotic leadership in a dangerous That could include a bold reset with the EU “in the national economic interest”; a more proactive industrial strategy; and the forthcoming strategic defence review taking on Farage on the EU would be a risk in the red wall in the north and Midlands But it’s an argument that can be won: the best means to deliver economic growth with reliable allies (no need to mention Trump) These elections show that trying to “out-Farage Farage” – as Labour has attempted on immigration, overseas aid and welfare – doesn’t work. A white paper on immigration coming soon might make the same mistake and drive more left-of-centre voters into the arms of the Liberal Democrats and Greens Labour must now resolve its dilemma on how to appeal to the progressive voters who enabled it to form a winning coalition last year while also tackling the Farage threat The worst thing both Labour and the Tories could do is to dismiss Thursday’s results as another blip like the rise of the Social Democratic Party in the 1980s I think it’s much more like the seismic change a hundred years ago when Labour supplanted the Liberal Party and became the opposition in fact: these elections prove our two-party system has been smashed with the Lib Dems and Greens in the mix alongside Reform (as well as the nationalists in Scotland and Wales) This earthquake will, in time, produce a fresh debate about our antiquated first-past-the-post system I know Starmer is not going to change a system that delivered him a landslide last year But the age-old argument that first-past-the-post provides stability is busted at a time of voter volatility and permanently broken tribal allegiances The implications are huge: in a fragmented five-party system Reform could conceivably win a general election with a smaller share of the vote than the 34 per cent Labour won last year It’s no longer just his dream; it could now become the country’s nightmare More aboutKeir StarmerNigel FarageReformby-electionJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies WATCH NOW: Ann Widdecombe declares a 'strong sensation of change' in UK politics as Reform continue to secure election victories As the results of the local council election flood in Nigel Farage is on track to win the next General Election by a comfortable margin The devastating blow to Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch comes after swathes of their former heartlands were conquered by the "People's Army" on Friday Reform's takeover of English county councils included winning the much-anticipated Runcorn and Helsby by-election this morning After being forced into a recount in the Cheshire constituency Reform's Sarah Pochin pipped Labour candidate Karen Shore to the post by just six votes - the smallest margin in a parliamentary by-election since the end of the Second World War All eyes now turned towards the next General Election with Reform poised to win a commanding majority with speculation swirling around the possibility that the Brexit supremo could be marching up the steps of Downing Street in just a few years Thanks to data supplied by Electoral Calculus founder and CEO Martin Baxter GB News can reveal how the parliamentary make-up of Britain might look in 2029 using figures from the narrow by-election victory The modelling hands Reform a 212 majority - meaning Farage's party would win a landslide larger than Sir Tony Blair's historic 1997 win The same data suggests that the Tories would be almost entirely wiped out leaving the historic party with a humiliating four representatives in Westminster - double the size of the Green Party predominantly across London and parts of Scotland The Liberal Democrats would take home 17 seats Armed with hundreds of local councillors scattered across England the Clacton MP will continue to call on his loyal followers to help him turn this projection into a reality Speaking to the People's Channel ahead of the local elections former Mid Kent and Faversham candidate Max Harrison was sure that Farage would one day become PM LATEST FROM REFORM UK'S TURQUOISE TIDAL WAVE: he will be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom," Max Harrison told GB News adding: "There's no doubt about it." He continued: "He's the only man who can win us the General Election and save our country "Because it doesn’t matter if you're left centre or right - we can all see this country is on its knees in terms of its culture "He is the only man in politics who can save it and make it great again." play iconWATCH NOW: Stephen Dixon grills Labour's Ellie Reeves on Labour's defeat in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election Labour's Chairwoman Ellie Reeves has been grilled by GB News host Stephen Dixon on the party's local election defeat, as Nigel Farage's Reform UK secured victory with just six votes between them. Becoming Reform UK's first-ever female MP, Sarah Pochin claimed the Runcorn & Helsby seat from the Labour candidate - overturning a 14,696 majority. Following her victory, Pochin declared that "the people of Runcorn have spoken, and "enough is enough". Discussing the Labour loss on GB News, Chairwoman Ellie Reeves claimed that the Government "recognise that voters are impatient for change". Stephen Dixon grilled Labour's Chair Ellie Reeves on the Government's loss of Runcorn & Helsby to Reform UK GB News host Stephen Dixon pressed Reeves on the election loss, claiming that the Government "can't blame it all on the Conservatives or Mike Amesbury". Reeves explained: "When we were elected Government last July, we were elected on a platform of change. And I recognise that people are impatient for change. I'm impatient for that change, the Government's impatient for that change. "Since coming into Government, we have started to deliver on our plan for change. It takes time. NHS waiting lists are down six months in a row, but there are still too many people on waiting lists." As Stephen suggested that the Government is "not addressing a lot of the issues that that ordinary people up and down the country", such as immigration, Reeves assured that "change takes time". Sarah Pochin became the first female Reform UK MP after winning Runcorn & Helsby by six votes Reeves told GB News: "Take Runcorn for example - just last month we delivered four new free breakfast clubs in primary schools. We want to go further and faster, and we want every primary school in Runcorn to have a free breakfast club. "Just last month, the our increase in the national minimum wage means that 3.5 million low paid workers are getting a pay rise. But it will take a while for people to feel the effects of those things. So change takes time." Reeves added: "We know we need to go further and faster, and we know that people are impatient for that change. But we're getting on with delivering on our plan for change." Expanding on the issue of immigration, GB News host Miriam Cates claimed that voters are "giving up on Labour" and their lack of efficiency in tackling illegal migration. Reeves told GB News that the Labour Government are wanting to go 'further and faster' in their changes Reeves responded: "The Conservatives's Rwanda gimmick cost £700million of taxpayers money and resulted in only four volunteers going to Rwanda. Instead, we are getting on with going after the criminal gangs, giving the police anti-terrorism powers to go after those gangs, and so we're smashing the gangs." Stephen interjected Reeves, stating: "Forgive me - your list sounds great, but what impact is it having? We're having more legal immigrants than ever before." Reeves explained: "One of the things that we've done is sped up returns - 24,000 with no right to stay here have been removed since the general election, far more than happened under the previous Conservative government. "We said in our manifesto that we would close the asylum hotels, and we've already announced the closure of some hotels, but again, we know we need to go further on faster on this." Play Brightcove videoWatch analysis from the ITV News team on England's local election results An insurgent Reform UK is celebrating a series of historic victories after winning its first by-election and taking control of a string of councils in England's local elections Nigel Farage declared during a victory lap that his party had "had the Labour Party for lunch" and its triumphs marked the "end of two-party politics" he told ITV News he will "resist" people seeking asylum from being placed in the council areas that Reform now controls insisting "we've had enough" before going on to say "Conservative Party is done" Reform's winning streak began after it secured victory early in Runcorn and Helsby by just six votes overturning a large Labour majority in a blow to Sir Keir Starmer in his first by-election test as prime minister A defeated Starmer told ITV News following the "disappointing" result: "I get it." Reform MP Sarah Pochin's narrow victory saw Reform take a constituency which Labour won with a majority of almost 14,700 less than 12 months ago making it the closest by-election result since the end of the Second World War The party made huge gains against both the Conservatives and Labour winning hundreds of seats across counties from south to north England Sir Ed Davey's Lib Dems have also made gains at the Tories’ expense in Devon He said this shows his party has replaced the Conservatives as “the party of middle England” The Conservatives lost control of all the councils they were defending Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told Conservative councillors who lost their seats she was “sincerely sorry” and that while the public are “fed up” with Labour Starmer says he'll go 'further and faster' while Labour MPs urge for change of direction Speaking to ITV News after the by-election Starmer said: "Many prime ministers will respond to this by saying 'oppositions always do well in these sorts of by-elections' or 'it was very close' - and it was very close "All of that is perfectly true but my response is to say "We were elected into government at the general election last year to deliver change We've started that work - waiting lists are coming down interest rates are down - that's all good for working people But the message I take out of these results is that we need to go further and faster with change "People need to see and feel that change.. We're going to double down on that now." 'I get it,' the PM tells ITV News insisting his government will 'go further and faster' to deliver change Labour MPs including Diane Abbott and Emma Lewell publicly called on the government to change course following the results arguing that voters had wanted an end to austerity but faced further cuts "I think that a lot of mainstream Labour supporters are feeling very disillusioned and are feeling this isn't their Labour Party it's about Labour values," Abbott told ITV News "I want the leadership to start to speak up for some of our more marginalised and poorer communities She fears the party is "moving towards the right" and that the direction it's taken is "alarming" condemning a series of decisions the leadership has taken since winning the election such as failing to lift the two-child benefit cap scrapping the winter fuel allowance and cutting benefits for the disabled she doesn't think it's too late to turn things around as long as the party "learns the lessons" from these results Fellow Labour MP Emma Lewell said in a post on X: “Trust matters She added: “It is tone deaf to keep repeating we will move further and faster on our plan for change Reform wins several county councils and two mayoral positions Reform's wins kept on coming as the party took control of eight county councils on Friday afternoon leading Farage to declare Reform is "now the main opposition party" and that a “big moment” was taking place in UK politics Its candidates took more than a staggering 50 seats at Durham County Council while Reform took another 45 seats on the former Tory-controlled Kent Reform swiped another three county councils It swiped Doncaster council from Labour - marking the start of an interesting split in the county between the parties with Reform controlling the council and a Labour mayor elected 'We will resist and fight as much as we can people who cross the English Channel being placed in these counties,' Nigel Farage tells ITV News Political Correspondent Harry Horton Farage said any council staff working on diversity or climate change initiatives or those who work from home should look for other jobs "I would advise anybody who’s working for Durham County Council on climate change initiatives or Diversity Equity and Inclusion or… thinks that you can go on working from home I think you all better really be seeking alternative careers very It came after Dame Andrea Jenkyns was elected the party's first mayor for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday morning with a majority of almost 40,000 over the Conservatives She said in her victory speech that asylum seekers should be housed in tents When ITV News asked Farage whether that is Reform policy he replied: "No I'm much harder line than that Reform won its second mayoralty when ex-boxer and former Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell was elected for Hull & East Yorkshire There was some good news for Labour as the party won mayoral elections in North Tyneside Helen Godwin beat Reform’s Arron Banks in the West of England by 5,945 votes The party also held the North Tyneside mayoralty although with a majority of just 444 ahead of Reform in second place Labour held on to the mayoralty with a majority of 698 over Reform the Tories - amid the bruising council losses - took a mayoralty from Labour with victory for ex-MP Paul Bristow in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough The position had been Labour held since 2021 but their candidate Anna Smith came in third behind the Lib Dems Voters 'hungry for change,' writes Political Correspondent Shehab Khan from North Lincolnshire As we prepared to go live for ITVX in North Lincolnshire a car sped past behind us and a man shouted “Reform!” while punching the air - an unprompted but clear display of the enthusiasm that many are feeling A performative act for the camera no doubt but it reflects the buoyant mood among some Reform supporters the party is making significant gains and many of the voters that we have spoken to yesterday and today in Grimsby tell us they are hungry for change and feel that neither Labour nor the Conservatives are willing or able to deliver it One couple we spoke to told us they were Tory voters but now believe the party is too weak on the issues that matter to them and they are feeling positive that Reform will be the voice they are looking for The election of Dame Andrea Jenkyns as the first Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire now offers a revealing opportunity to see how Reform governs in practice She'll oversee a £24 million budget and hold influence over key areas such as transport One member of the shadow cabinet summed up their mood with a pointed remark: “Let’s see how they get on when there’s actual work to do.” Runcorn and Helsby was a by-election full of drama after Reform won the seat by just four votes - but a Labour-requested recount then pushed the margin to six The vote was triggered when former Labour MP Mike Amesbury quit after admitting to punching a constituent Farage said he was "delighted" with the win and branded the prime minister a "coward" when asked why he thought Starmer had not visited the constituency during the campaign Pochin said the people of Runcorn and Helsby had spoken “We have made history in Runcorn and Helsby.. Chairwoman of the Labour Party Ellie Reeves told ITV News it was a by-election "held in difficult circumstances" for the party and rejected that Reform's gains overnight marked the end of two-party politics 'It's very premature to say politics has changed,' says ITV News Elections Analyst She suggested Reform would face greater scrutiny after its electoral gains "People will be looking closely now at Reform's policies - not just the noise that they make but actually what it is that they stand for," she said as she swiped at Farage's suggestions that the NHS should not be publicly funded The Tories said the change Starmer delivered had been “roundly rejected” and Labour MPs will “rightfully question his leadership” after Reform’s by-election win From Westminster to Washington DC - our political experts are across all the latest key talking points in Kemi Badenoch’s first electoral test as leader were also suffering at the hands of Reform and were squeezed by the Liberal Democrats Most of the council seats that were up for grabs were last contested in May 2021 was enjoying a spike in popularity following the successful roll-out of the first Covid vaccines who'd been largely quiet for much of the day admitting it is a "very difficult" day of results for her party and apologised to councillors who'd lost their seats Badenoch wrote: "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 Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News They are a major challenge,’ says polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice News | Politics Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Sir Keir Starmer has admitted his disappointment after Nigel Farage hailed Reform’s bombshell by-election victory over Labour in Runcorn and Helsby The Reform UK leader was celebrating “a big moment” on Friday morning as his party gained a new MP and made significant gains at councils across England in the local elections The result in Runcorn and Helsby was declared at 6am and followed a recount after only a handful of votes separated the two parties It saw a 17% swing from Labour to Reform’s new MP Sarah Pochin and means Mr Farage’s party has inflicted defeat on the governing party in the first by-election test for the Prime Minister since he was elected in a landslide last July was the smallest ever margin in a parliamentary by-election in the country's history Speaking to reporters during a visit to Bedfordshire on Friday Sir Keir said the result was "disappointing" and insisted he was determined to go "further and faster" in delivering change the Prime Minister added that his party "get it" "We were elected last year to bring about change." Sir Keir added that his party has "started that work" such as bringing in measures to cut NHS waiting lists adding: "I am determined that we will go further and faster on the change that people want to see." The parliamentary result came as Reform also made gains against both Labour and the Conservatives across England in local votes with Farage claiming a "big moment" was taking place in UK politics He added: "We've dug very deep into the Labour vote and we've dug deep into the Conservative vote.” we are now the main opposition party to this Government," he claimed Reform’s Sarah Pochin said voters had made clear "enough is enough" "Our victory...will inspire the rest of the country to believe that they too can stand up for fairness for what is right and for our British values," she added 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" It was a hugely dramatic result in a seat which Labour held with a majority of 14,696 in the 2024 general election The by-election was triggered when former Labour MP Mike Amesbury quit after admitting punching a constituent Voters on Thursday also took part in contests to elect more than 1,600 councillors across 23 local authorities, along with four regional mayors and two local mayors. Reform's Dame Andrea Jenkyns, a former Conservative minister, won the first ever Greater Lincolnshire mayoral race. But Labour held the West of England mayoralty, with Helen Godwin beating Reform's Arron Banks by 5,945 votes. The party also held the North Tyneside mayoralty, although with a majority of just 444 ahead of Reform. Doncaster's Labour mayor Ros Jones was re-elected with a majority of 698 after a battle with Reform. But she hit out at the Prime Minister's administration, criticising decisions to means-test the winter fuel allowance, hike employers' national insurance contributions and squeeze welfare. Local elections 2025 full results: Reform gain new MP and raft of council seats as Tories and Labour falter The Tories, in Kemi Badenoch's first electoral test as leader, were also suffering at the hands of Reform and could also be squeezed by the Liberal Democrats. Reform look set to take control of Staffordshire County Council after taking 24 of the 30 seats to be counted overnight, with Conservatives winning the other six. It means when counting resumes later on Friday, Reform need to win just eight more seats to have a majority on the council. Reform also remained on track to take control of Lincolnshire County Council, after winning 19 of the first 25 seats to be declared, with Labour on three, Liberal Democrats two and Conservatives one. The party needed another 17 seats from the 45 still to be declared to gain a majority on a council which was previously run by the Conservatives with 54 seats. In Northumberland, Reform gained 23 seats on the council, with Labour down 10, and the Conservatives losing seven. "Reform are in business. They are a major challenge,” said polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice, of Strathclyde University. He told the BBC: "We thought we'd lose half our seats." Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: "We are expecting to see big gains against the Conservatives in their former Middle England heartlands." The Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer stressed: "We are taking seats from both the Conservatives and Labour up and down the country as voters, understandably, move away from the tired old parties.” Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Lady Victoria Starmer VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Royals watch historic flypast as huge crowds turns out for VE Day 80th anniversary  Royals watch historic Red Arrows flypast for VE Day 80th anniversary David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash in London 'shut down' by council over noise complaints David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash 'shut down' over noise complaints Stacey Solomon 'regrets doing reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Stacey Solomon 'regrets reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Reform UK has gained its fifth MP after narrowly edging to victory in the first by-election test of Labour's parliament Sarah Pochin overturned a Labour majority of nearly 15,000 in the Cheshire constituency of Runcorn and Helsby making her the first Reform MP in the North West of England It was dramatic night after the declaration was delayed as the close nature of the contest led to a recount with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage forced to wait before arriving at the count centre in Widnes for his moment of triumph The declaration came at just before 6am on Friday 2 May with Mr Farage calling it a "big moment" for politics He said it was a sign that Sir Keir Starmer had “alienated so much of his traditional base The seat was once regarded as one of Labour's safest areas but hailing her victory Ms Pochin said "“Firstly who has so inspired me to stand up for this country.” She added: “The people of Runcorn and Helsby have spoken - enough is enough “I want to thank every one of you who were brave enough to put a cross against my name on the ballot paper every one of you who have put their faith in me as your next Member of Parliament for this constituency and who have put their faith in Nigel Farage as the next Prime Minister of this great country.” Sir Keir Starmer said Labour’s loss was “disappointing” and the Government needed to go “further and faster” in delivering change He has been criticised for not visiting the constituency during campaigning - something the party says is normal for a by-election Kim Johnson, who represents Liverpool Riverside for Labour described the Runcorn result as “a warning we can’t ignore” “Voters want change – and if we don’t offer it with bold the alternative won’t be more of the same - it’ll be an extreme right-wing government.” The election was sparked by the resignation of the former MP Mike Amesbury after he was convicted of punching a constituent in October 2024 Ms Pochin won the constituency by just six votes with Labour coming second with 12,639 votes A total of 15 different candidates were on the ballot paper when polls opened on 1 May in the House of Commons to represent the party Rupert Lowe was also elected for Reform UK during the 2024 general election but had the whip removed from him in March after police and internal investigations were started against him Labour candidate insists seat is ‘definitely still in play’ in first electoral test of Keir Starmer’s government Labour’s candidate in Thursday’s Runcorn and Helsby byelection has insisted the contest is “definitely still in play” as Reform UK became odds-on favourite to win Two polls have suggested Nigel Farage’s party is on track to overturn Labour’s 14,700 majority in the first electoral test of Keir Starmer’s premiership It would mark one of the biggest swings in voter opinion in recent UK political history and would be a significant blow to Starmer in one of Labour’s safest seats told the Guardian the reception had been “really positive” and victory was still in sight “It’s going to be close and we need to make sure we work it until the end,” she said Labour’s campaign in Runcorn and Helsby attracted criticism after Shore launched a Facebook petition to close “the asylum hotel” – a tactic described by Zarah Sultana the former Labour MP who now sits as an independent who had “warmly welcomed” asylum seekers to the area while she was deputy council leader denied it was a “cynical” attempt to stem the flow of votes to Reform UK She said: “I accept that the tone of it could’ve been slightly different – and the fact it was exploited by the populists.” I spent half my life fighting prejudice and discrimination and I just can’t abide some of the rhetoric that comes out of them,” she said it was controversial at the beginning of the campaign and reflecting on it [we] could have handled it slightly differently but I still stand by the fact that we do need to close them.” said placing asylum seekers in a hotel was “no way to live” and that “we need to do better than that for people” Senior Labour figures have sought to manage expectations ahead of polling day on Thursday, with the prime minister admitting it would be “tough” and Ellie Reeves, the party chair, accusing the Conservatives of “gifting” the seat to Farage by not campaigning Bookmakers have made Farage’s party odds-on favourite to win the Cheshire byelection which was triggered by the resignation of Mike Amesbury the former deputy leader of Cheshire West and Chester council said: “We knew at the beginning of this campaign that it was going to be challenging and difficult because of the national picture and the fact it’s a byelection – there’s 15 candidates “We came in knowing that it was going to be a slog but I’m the kind of person who doesn’t give up and I’m in it to win it.” houses of multiple occupation and Turkish barbers Shore said her rival’s campaign had “demonise[d] people” to “create fear and scapegoat people” It’s for them to say whether they’re racist or not.” In today’s newsletter: Early indications of Conservative collapse in benchmark local elections Kemi Badenoch and Keir Starmer may wish they could go back to bed the party lost a majority of almost 15,000 to the Reform candidate Sarah Pochin after a recount – agonisingly being defeated by the margin of just six votes the narrowest byelection victory in more than 100 years the former Conservative minister Andrea Jenkyns was announced as the new Reform mayor a few minutes ago A caveat worth repeating: there is an awful lot of this story still to be told because the results in councils are yet to be announced though: the results so far will have left Nigel Farage in a very good mood indeed To follow the latest news and analysis as it lands, head to the live blog. The latest results are here US news | Trump’s two top national security advisers, Mike Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong, are stepping down from their posts in the Trump administration who has faced intense scrutiny over the Signal group chat scandal will be nominated as the US ambassador to the United Nations Climate crisis | Nine London-based banks, including HSBC, Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds, have collectively put more than £75bn ($100bn) into companies developing huge oil Experts say the 117 projects have the potential to produce the equivalent of a decade of total global carbon dioxide emissions Ukraine | The White House will approve its first sale of military equipment to Ukraine since Donald Trump took office in an indication that the minerals deal signed by the two countries this week may open a path to renewed weapons shipments A senior aide to Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv hoped that weapons deliveries would resume swiftly Cyber security | Harrods has been hit by a cyber-attack just days after Marks & Spencer and the Co-op were targeted linked to a hacking collective known as Scattered Spider wiped £650m off the company’s value as it was forced to stop website orders for almost a week Culture | Dozens of artists – including Pulp, Paul Weller and Primal Scream – have come out in support of the band Kneecap as counter-terrorism police said they were investigating videos of them allegedly calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting “up Hamas As a planned gig in Plymouth was cancelled by the venue concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform” Kneecap Anxious Labour scrutineers watching the recount at the Runcorn and Helsby byelection Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The GuardianThe first sign of the direction of the night came in North Tyneside where Labour held the mayoralty – but saw their majority massively reduced Labour’s Karen Clark beat Reform’s John Falkenstein by just 444 votes Clark’s predecessor Norma Redfearn won with 53% of the vote; Clark prevailed with a shade over 30% “A win is a win,” science minister Peter Kyle told the BBC Nigel Farage was reported to have spent quite a lot of the night sitting in a car somewhere near the DCBL Stadium in Widnes where votes in the Runcorn and Helsby byelection were being counted ready to sweep in to claim the glory if it went Reform’s way The extraordinarily tight margin of the first count – four votes - was followed by a full recount and close scrutiny of every ballot (“I’ve seen more drawings of penises than I’ve ever seen in my life,” one observer told Josh Halliday) Farage made a premature claim of victory on social media and said it was Labour that demanded the recount He finally got out of a car with his candidate hilariously delivered with the Monster Raving Loony Party candidate hovering inches to her left she said that the voters had delivered an anti-system message: “Enough is enough given Runcorn was one of their 50 safest seats in the country at the general election presumably hoping to avoid being too closely associated with a potential defeat: he may now be wondering if he might have swayed the four people he would have needed to fend off the Reform challenge “Bloody hell,” Josh Halliday said in Widnes and actually most of the time people have a good idea who won This time no one knew which way it would go right until the wire.” What is the broader significance of the result there were suggestions that tactical anti-Reform voting might play a crucial role here And the number of votes for the Green party and Lib Dems – 3,256 between them – suggests that that may have been the case who may have similarly benefitted from Tory switchers “I spoke to a couple of Tories who said they were going to back Labour because they couldn’t stomach Reform and that probably made it closer than it would have been,” Josh said “I’ve been here four times since the end of January and it’s felt like Reform’s to lose – I wonder whether polls showing them winning made people ask if they really wanted a Reform MP Luke Tryl, of More In Common, said that one key question ahead of the by-election was whether Reform’s momentum could be converted to actual votes against the traditional parties’ “get out the vote” operations: “Clearly they’ve done that in Runcorn,” he said “Their performance in the byelection significantly exceeds the swing you might you expect based on current opinion polls.” In Greater Lincolnshire, Reform’s candidate Andrea Jenkyns – who you may remember giving the finger to protesters outside Downing Street in her previous incarnation as a Tory minister and who campaigned on a “DOGE Lincolnshire” ticket – won comfortably: she won more than 100,000 votes “This is a painful blow to the Tories in an area that’s one of their heartlands,” said Ben Quinn “It wasn’t without damage for Labour as well – she annihilated the Tories across Lincolnshire but even the places were Labour might have done better she beat them comfortably.” In the West of England Labour’s Helen Godwin finished ahead of her closest rival by 5,945 votes – a much better performance for Reform than the polling had indicated Labour’s Ros Jones beat Reform’s Alexander Jones by a whisker – 23,805 votes to 23,107 “Everyone has been talking for quite a long time about Reform being a threat to the Tories but this is a really good example of the threat they pose to Labour,” said Robyn Vinter “The Conservatives actually did better than they could have expected Ros Jones told me she was frustrated with the national party over the winter fuel allowance cut and the Pip cut which she thought had gone down very badly here.” Those looking for a sense of how the Conservatives are likely to do in the many councils they hold across the country that are up for grabs were paying close attention to Staffordshire, where the Tories held 55 of 62 seats until yesterday. Of 30 results called by 5.30am 24 had gone to Reform – every one of them previously held by a Conservative Sam Freedman, author of the Comment is Freed Substack, reasonably called it an “absolute shocker” for the Tories and added: “I thought it was one of their best chances to hold a council and Reform are going to win it outright easily I can’t see them holding any of their 19 councils now.” Across all of the council seats declared in England a short while ago Reform had 66 seats – from a standing start – while the Tories were on 37 Only one council was expected to complete their count overnight – Northumberland – and the results there should land soon with Labour hopeful of becoming the largest party but with no one having overall control it may be the start of a very long day for Kemi Badenoch There’s a break until 1pm when Durham are next to announce and you can expect that void to be filled by considerable broadcast pontification While Reform has undoubtedly had a good night we should wait to see the council results before making any claims about the complete picture The mood of the electorate presented by most recent polls – with Labour the Conservatives and Reform all between 20% and 25% – means that quite small variations can make big changes to the overall result The BBC publishes John Curtice’s estimate of national vote share in the afternoon and the final results drop around 7pm tonight: by then we’ll have a sense of just how ugly things might get for Badenoch and Starmer – and whether Reform really can claim to be the most popular party in England For this Guardian long read Manvir Singh explores the myths and money-making behind the booming ayahuasca and magic mushrooms shaman trade Congratulations to Stuart Heritage on coming up with 20 Dwayne Johnson movies to do a Ranked! on It’s rough news for the four movies that are worse than Journey 2: The Mysterious Island He moved fast and destroyed things; Elon Musk’s 100 days of chaos in the Trump White House is dissected by Nick Robins-Early Chris Stokel-Walker has a fascinating piece about ChatGPT’s tendency to tell you what you want to hear however unhinged your question might be – and what that reveals about the incentives in systems built to “maximise retention “I don’t want to die in a hotel room”: Ozzy Osbourne exclusively speaks to Alexis Petridis about chronic pain 50 years on the road and Black Sabbath’s final reunion while Tottenham took a 3-1 win over Bodø/Glimt Chelsea climbed to the top of the Conference League with their 4-1 semi-final win over Djurgården Brentford took advantage of Nottingham Forest’s lax defence for a 2-0 win Football | In a U-turn, the Football Association will ban transgender women from playing in women’s football from 1 June following the ruling from the supreme court that the term “woman” in the Equality Act refers only to a biological woman Darts | Luke Littler fought back to see off Michael van Gerwen 6-4 to win night 13 of the Premier League in Birmingham setting a new record with a fifth overall evening victory of the season Our critics’ roundup of the best things to watch Kneecap at Maddens Bar in Belfast Photograph: Hannah McCallum/The ObserverHow Kneecap became most controversial band in the UK They shot to fame with their provocative blend of rap and republicanism, but their on-stage pronouncements have sparked shock and led to a media storm Illustration: Ben Jennings/The GuardianThe UpsideA bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad woodland animals and insects have returned and a flock of 500 goldfinches have appeared drawn to the new food sources from the grasses and thistles that have grown over what used to be ploughed fields originally created by a wealthy naval sea captain from the spoils of plundered Spanish treasure has been hosting Buddhist-inspired mindfulness retreats the new director of the estate Julian Carnell wanted to build something that would combine the estate’s mental health work with its conservation aims they have designed the programme around ensuring that people can get access to the land and its natural environment the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply Sky's Economics and data editor Ed Conway has described their victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election as 'extraordinary'