Overview

• Reform UK won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes, overturning a Labour majority of nearly 15,000 in one of the closest parliamentary contests since WWII.
• The party captured its first directly elected mayoralty in Greater Lincolnshire, with Andrea Jenkyns decisively defeating Labour and Conservative candidates.
• Reform gained control of seven councils, including Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, and Durham, marking a significant shift in local governance.
• Early results indicate Reform UK secured more council seats than all other parties combined, with its vote share nearing 40%.
• Nigel Farage declared Reform the primary opposition to Labour, citing its ability to draw support from both major parties and disrupt the two-party system.