The Reform UK candidate won in Barton and Winton by 33 votes
10:01, 23 Apr 2026Updated 14:48, 23 Apr 2026
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking at an event in Barnsley yesterday (Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Nigel Farage has hailed the Barton and Winton by-election as a “huge win for Reform”. The Reform Party leader made his comments on the social media platform X this morning after Michael Felse became the party’s first councillor in Salford last night.
Six candidates were standing for a seat in the ward. The result was announced at around 12.15am on Thursday, with voters going to the polls on Wednesday.
Reform’s Michael Felse was declared the winner with 676 votes, followed by Labour’s Catherine Goodyer just 33 votes behind on 636. Barton and Winton had previously been considered a safe Labour seat.
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Mr Farage posted on X: “A huge win for Reform in Salford last night. The Labour vote dropped by 30 points. This is the best sign yet!”
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Despite Reform’s historic victory, Labour still has overall control of the council, holding 45 out of 60 seats. There are also seven Conservatives, two Lib Dems, one independent, one Democratic Socialist Party councillor and one Your Party councillor.
Thanking the voters, Councillor Felse said he was “delighted” with his victory. “Here we are making history in Salford as the first Reform councillor,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service last night.
Michael Felse, the new Reform UK councillor for Barton and Winton(Image: LDRS)
The controversial by-election was called to elect a new councillor following the death of England’s longest serving councillor, David Lancaster. Residents will return to the polls again on May 7.