Reform UK Gains Multiple Councils, 270 Seats in Local Elections

Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, secured major victories in local elections across England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday, gaining control of multiple councils and hundreds of seats at the expense of Labour and the Conservatives.

The party took control of Essex County Council, its first major county authority, with 53 councillors elected in a region long dominated by the Conservatives. Reform also captured Suffolk County Council with 41 seats, Sunderland City Council, which Labour had held since 1973, Havering in east London, its first London borough, and Gateshead in the North East, where it won 38 seats for a slim majority. Early results showed Reform gaining over 270 seats nationwide, while Labour lost more than 200 councillors and control of at least eight councils. The Conservatives shed dozens of seats, including their last remaining one in Wigan.

In Wales, Reform finished second in Senedd elections with 34 seats, behind Plaid Cymru. The party made inroads in Scotland as well, building on prior local successes. Analysis indicated Reform's vote share grew most in socioeconomically deprived areas, averaging 30 percentage point gains, and in traditional Labour and...