Reform UK sees vote shares plunge in council by-elections as Nigel Farage's struggles mount

Detailed summary

In six by-elections for local authorities in England on Thursday, Reform won three seats, Labour picked up two and the Tories won one.

Published: 13:17 GMT, 13 November 2026 | Updated: 13:32 GMT, 13 November 2026

Reform UK won three more local council seats last night - but there were fresh signs of woe for Nigel Farage's party.

In six by-elections for local authorities in England on Thursday, Reform won three seats, Labour picked up two and the Tories won one.

Despite the success, Reform saw its vote share fall in all five wards it was contesting again when compared to the party's results from May.

This was likely due, in part, to rival outfit Restore Britain picking up a significant number of Right-wing votes across all five seats.

In wards across Wigan, Oldham, Hyndburn, North East Lincolnshire and Suffolk councils, Reform's vote share was down compared to earlier this year.

The largest drop was in the Huncoat ward of Hyndburn Borough Council where Reform won just 29.8 per cent of the vote, compared to 49.2 per cent in May.

Reform UK won three more local council seats last night - but there were fresh signs of woe for Nigel Farage's party.

In six by-elections for local authorities in England on Thursday, Reform won three seats, Labour picked up two and the Tories won one

Opening of the article, excerpted from Daily Mail. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.