Reform UK Takes Newcastle-under-Lyme, Labour Loses Eight Councils in England Elections
Reform UK emerged as a notable gainer in England's local elections, securing hundreds of seats and taking outright control of Newcastle-under-Lyme from the Conservatives. This represents a substantial shift in the political landscape.
Labour has faced considerable setbacks, losing scores of councillors and overall control of eight councils, including Southampton and Wandsworth. The party also saw its majorities eroded in Hartlepool, Redditch, Tamworth, Tameside, and Exeter, where it remains the largest party but without overall control.
The Conservative Party also registered dozens of seat losses and relinquished control of one council, though it did regain Westminster City Council from Labour. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats gained control of Stockport and Portsmouth councils, while losing their majority in Hull. The Green Party of England and Wales acquired over 20 additional seats.
These initial results cover 46 areas, with further declarations expected throughout Friday and into Saturday from 90 areas across England, encompassing approximately 3,800 council seats. Counting for the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments, as well as mayoral contests in London and Watford, is scheduled for later on Friday.
Many of the councils that declared overnight only elect a third of their councillors at a time, which limited the number of outright council takeovers by parties like Reform UK. Over 5,000 councillors were up for election across 136 English councils on Thursday.
Most of these seats were last contested in 2022, a period when Reform UK had minimal presence. This historical context positioned the party for considerable gains in the current electoral cycle. Heavy losses for Labour were observed in the North West and East of England, with the Conservatives also losing dozens of seats in the East and Midlands.
The Scottish Parliament election saw all 129 seats contested. The Scottish National Party, led by John Swinney, was the largest party prior to this election. In Wales, the Parliament is expanding from 60 to 96 seats, implementing a new electoral system and redrawn boundaries, with Labour having held half of the seats in the previous 2021 election.
