Reform UK secured three council seats in Thursday’s local authority by-elections but suffered significant declines in its vote share across every ward it contested, raising fresh questions about the party’s electoral momentum under Nigel Farage.
The party’s performance was affected by growing support for Restore Britain, a rival right-wing political group that attracted a notable share of votes in several contested areas.
Reform Wins Three Seats Despite Falling Vote Share
Six local council by-elections were held across England on Thursday, with Reform UK winning three seats, Labour securing two and the Conservatives taking one.
However, comparisons with the results from May showed that Reform’s share of the vote had declined in all five wards where it had previously contested elections.
The affected areas included Wigan, Oldham, Hyndburn, North East Lincolnshire and Suffolk.
The most significant decline occurred in Huncoat, a ward in Hyndburn Borough Council, where Reform’s vote share dropped from 49.2 per cent in May to 29.8 per cent in Thursday’s election.
Restore Britain Makes Gains in Right-Wing Voting Areas
Restore Britain recorded a strong performance in several of the contests, particularly in areas where Reform experienced substantial losses in support.
In Huncoat, the party secured 27.8 per cent of the vote, narrowly missing the opportunity to push Reform into third place behind itself and Labour.
Restore Britain was established by Rupert Lowe, who left Reform UK last year.
Lowe celebrated his party’s performance, describing the results as an “astonishing set of results”.
Commenting on the Hyndburn contest in a post on X, he wrote: “Yesterday’s result in Hyndburn proved one thing – if you vote Restore Britain, you can get Restore Britain.”
He added that if more patriots supported the party, they could achieve something “truly spectacular”.
Farage’s Party Suffers Further Losses Across Five Wards
Reform also recorded notable declines in other contested areas when compared with its May performance.
In Hindley Green, Wigan, the party’s vote share fell by 15.8 percentage points, while its support in Failsworth West, Oldham, dropped by 14.4 points.
The party also experienced a 9.5-point decline in Croft Baker, North East Lincolnshire, and a 16-point fall in Bosmere, Suffolk.
The results highlighted a wider reduction in Reform’s vote share across the five wards, despite the party securing victories in three of Thursday’s six by-elections.
Conservatives Reclaim Suffolk Seat from Reform
The Conservatives secured a victory in Bosmere, Suffolk, taking back a council seat they had previously lost to Reform UK in May.
Kemi Badenoch’s party won the contest by just 23 votes ahead of the Green Party, which finished in second place.
Reform fell to third position, while Restore Britain received 7.9 per cent of the vote.
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake welcomed the outcome, describing it as a “brilliant” result.
He also highlighted what he said was a 15 per cent swing from Reform UK towards the Conservatives.
Labour Celebrates Improved Performance in Oldham
Labour also pointed to its improved showing in Failsworth West, Oldham, where its candidate narrowly missed out on defeating Reform.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was disappointed that the Labour candidate had fallen short but described the result as a significant improvement compared with May’s election.
She attributed the change to a major political turnaround since the previous contest, following Labour’s decision to replace Keir Starmer with Andy Burnham as party leader.
Powell said she was sorry the candidate had “just missed out” but maintained that the latest result represented a “big turn around”.
Richard Tice Defends Reform’s Overall Performance
Despite the declines recorded across the five wards, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice described the party’s performance in the six by-elections as strong.
Among the party’s victories was the Cheddleton ward in Staffordshire Moorlands, which had last been contested in 2023.
Tice also highlighted Reform’s average vote share of 34.3 per cent across the six contests, compared with 13.4 per cent for the Conservatives.
He used the figures to argue that the Conservatives were no longer a national political party.
Farage Previously Admitted Party Needed to Regain Momentum
The latest results come after Nigel Farage acknowledged that Reform UK needed to re-energise its supporters following what he described as a difficult summer.
The party had faced a series of controversies during the period, prompting concerns about maintaining voter enthusiasm.
Although Reform secured three additional council seats in Thursday’s elections, the declines in its vote share and the emergence of Restore Britain as a competing force added to the challenges facing Farage’s party.
