May 2, 2025: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party made a dramatic breakthrough in England’s local elections and won a parliamentary by-election by a record-slim margin of six votes in Runcorn and Helsby, a seat previously held by Labour with a 15,000-vote majority.
Farage called it a “huge night for Reform,” as the party also secured the Greater Lincolnshire mayoralty, with former Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns emerging as its most powerful elected figure. She pledged to crack down on immigration and “soft touch Britain.”
The election marked the first major test for Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose government has seen a rapid popularity decline amid tax hikes, benefit cuts, and donation controversies. Local results showed Labour support collapsing in several regions, with Reform coming close in mayoral races in North Tyneside, Doncaster, and the West of England.
The by-election was triggered after the Labour MP was convicted of assault. Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, is now positioning itself as a national challenger to both Labour and the Conservatives, amid a fracturing political landscape ahead of the expected 2029 general election.