Outcomes in Real Time: Reform party secures five county council seats in a decisive victory in the local elections
Phresh Take:
Reform Part brings a whopping 500+ council seats under its control, making waves across the political landscape!
So far, this electrifying surge has been more than evident, with majority seats still uncounted and unannounced.
This monumental victory has given Reform an edge, snatching control from Conservative strongholds in Staffordshire (since 2009), Derbyshire, Kent, Durham, and Lincolnshire!
The grand finale of results from over 1,600 council elections will be unfurled throughout the afternoon and into the evening, but the early birds suggest Reform could snag oodles of council seats!
In the pre-dawn hours,Runner-up Sharp Pochin clinched the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, edging past Labour by a thread-thin six votes.
The first-ever mayor of Lincolnshire, Andrea Jenkyns, a former Tory MP, hopped on the Reform bandwagon, marking the party's first mayoral victory.
Farage's party pocketed around 39% of the vote from the initial council results.
Labour Party Chair Ellie Reeves remained undeterred, stating, "Change doesn't happen overnight, but we're getting to it".
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch acknowledged the bump in the road with a post on X, admitting, "These elections have been a tough challenge after the high of 2021 and our disastrous performance last year".
She continued, "Revamping our party has only just begun, and I'm committed to regaining the public's trust and lost seats".
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper was alarmed by Reform's momentum, voicing concerns about their success overnight.
She shared her sentiment in an interview with BBC Breakfast, asserting, "The Lib Dems can supplant the Conservatives as the party of Middle England".
A New Dawn?
Preliminary results hint at a sweeping shift in allegiances since the 2024 general elections. Even more dramatic shifts have been noticed since the last council elections in 2021.
Back then, Boris Johnson reveled in the rosy afterglow of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, reaping benefits ahead of the 'Partygate' scandal that later toppled his rule.
The Conservatives now face a daunting task, with their poll numbers plummeting over 20% since 2021 as they defend a whopping 1,000 seats.
Labour, with just around 100 seats to defend, is in a slightly better position. Meanwhile, Reform has only a smattering of seats to safeguard.
Enrichment Insights
The Reform UK party (formerly known as the Brexit Party), led by Nigel Farage, has been a significant player in advocating for British independence from the European Union. In recent elections in May 2025, Reform UK made notable gains:- Parliamentary Seat: The party won a vacant parliamentary seat.- Mayoralties: Reform UK secured two mayoralties.- Council Control: The party gained control of several councils across the UK.These successes could signal a rise in support for populist and nationalist agendas in the UK, reminiscent of similar trends noticed in other European countries.
- The emergence of Reform UK as a significant political force, winning numerous council seats, has created a wave of change in the political landscape, threatening the traditional strongholds of the Conservative party.
- The recent victories of Reform UK, including the gain of several council controls, could represent a growing support for nationalist and populist agendas, similar to trends observed in other European countries.
- With the monumental victory of Reform UK, ongoing issues like migration, war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and crime-and-justice could see a shift in policy as the party brings its unique perspective to the table.
- In the aftermath of the 2024 general elections, hundreds of voters seem to have re-aligned their allegiances, potentially seen in the surge of support for Reform UK since the last council elections in 2021.
- Stunned by the rapid emergence of Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats are concerned about the party's momentum and the potential impact on their own claims of being the party of Middle England.
- The Conservatives, facing a steep challenge, are now placed in a difficult position as they struggle to defend a considerable number of seats.
- Despite the setbacks, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is committed to rejuvenating the party, vowing to regain the public's trust and the lost seats that have slipped away due to the recent political changes.
