Reform triumphs to win three by-elections as Labour slumps to humiliating quadruple defeat
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK made gains at the by-elections, while Labour lost seats (Image: PA)
Reform has won a trio of by-elections with a stunning surge in the vote – as Labour crashed to an embarrassing quadruple defeat in the wake of yet another humiliating U-turn. A total of 10 council by-elections were held across the country this week, with Nigel Farage’s insurgent party storming to victory in three seats it had never even stood in before.
It gained the Wickford Park ward in Basildon from an independent with 40.6% of the vote and beat the Community First party in Whitworth, Rossendale, by scooping a 47.5% vote share. It also won the Stockbridge and Upper Don ward in Sheffield from Labour, winning 32.9% of the vote while Labour’s slumped by 25.2%. That was not the only heavy defeat for Sir Keir Starmer’s party – it lost the Shooters Hill ward in Greenwich, London, to the Greens, with its vote share crashing by 27.7%.
The Tories gained Chorley Council’s Buckshaw and Whittle ward after Labour’s vote share collapsed by 22.4%. Reform even knocked it into third, less than 3% behind the Tories.
Labour also lost Fountainbridge Craiglockhart in Edinburgh to the Liberal Democrats, albeit only after second-preference votes were counted.
Labour’s vote share also fell in many of the other seats being contested on Thursday, while Reform came second in five seats.
Party chairman David Bull posted on social media site X after the results were revealed: “More electoral success overnight. Reform is on the march across the UK.”
Reform has continued to soar both in the polls and at the ballot box following May’s triumphant local elections, in which it gained hundreds of council seats.
The latest YouGov poll suggests Reform would emerge as the largest party in a hung parliament if a general election were held now, with a predicted 271 seats.
Labour has continued to collapse in the polls, losing 11% from last year’s General Election to 23% now – 3% behind Reform. Other polls have put Mr Farage even further ahead.
It comes as Labour completed a triple of U-turns by climbing down on proposed benefit cuts in the wake of a massive rebellion by more than 100 of its own MPs.
It has already been forced to reinstate the winter fuel allowance and gave the green light to a national inquiry on grooming gangs, having previously insisted on only local hearings.
Keir Starmer torn apart over ‘humiliating U-turn’ on welfare cuts
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer came under fire for Labour’s “humiliating U-turn” on welfare reforms. In a late-night climbdown, the Government offered backbench Labour rebels a series of concessions in an effort to head off the Prime Minister’s first major Commons defeat since coming to power.
Some 126 Labour MPs had signed an amendment that would halt the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill in its tracks when it faces a crunch vote on Tuesday.
Tory Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately said: “This is another humiliating U-turn forced upon Keir Starmer. With the sickness benefits bill set to reach £100 billion by 2030 the country needs action. But Labour has lurched from a bad plan to a next-to-nothing plan.
“The latest ‘deal’ with Labour rebels sounds a lot like a two-tier benefits system, more likely to encourage anyone already on benefits to stay there rather than get into work.
“We made a serious offer to Keir Starmer in the national interest if he was willing to grip the challenge of getting the welfare bill down and more people into work – making savings to avoid putting up taxes. But instead, he’s done yet another U-turn.”
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice added: “This is yet another humiliating U-turn by the Prime Minister. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that you can’t trust a thing this Government says. The welfare bill must be cut before it spirals out of control, but Starmer is playing party politics with the public finances.
“This backtrack is going to create a multi-billion black hole that, alongside the £120 billion of extra borrowing Labour committed to in the spending review”