Reform UK has emerged as the dominant force in England's local elections, according to results reported by the Guardian, delivering a significant blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party, which lost councillors across multiple regions overnight.
The results point to a major realignment in traditional Labour heartlands. Reform UK performed strongly in the north-east of England, with early counts suggesting the party has pushed Labour toward opposition status in Hartlepool - a constituency that has long been associated with working-class Labour support.
Labour also recorded losses in Chorley, Wigan, Redditch, and Tamworth, according to the Guardian's reporting. The breadth of the defeats underscores the scale of the electoral challenge now confronting Starmer's government.
Reform's northern breakthrough
The results represent a continuation of Reform UK's upward trajectory following its strong performance in the 2024 general election, where the party won several parliamentary seats under Nigel Farage's leadership. The local election gains suggest that momentum has carried into local government contests.
Reform's advance into Labour-held northern councils is particularly significant, as these areas were historically resistant to right-wing populist parties. Political analysts have pointed to economic discontent and dissatisfaction with the pace of change under the current government as contributing factors.
Labour's scale of losses
Starmer's party was widely expected to suffer losses heading into Thursday's vote, with polling in the months prior indicating declining support for the government. However, the extent of the results as they emerged overnight suggested the damage was considerable.
The losses span a geographic range that includes both traditional Labour strongholds in the north and more contested midlands towns like Redditch and Tamworth, indicating the party faces pressure across different types of constituencies simultaneously.
Full results from England, Scotland, and Wales were continuing to be counted and reported at the time of publication. The Guardian, which is covering the elections live, attributed the results to official counts as they came in through the night and into Friday morning.
The outcome is expected to intensify internal debate within the Labour Party over its policy direction and communication strategy less than two years into its first term in government since 2010.
