Reform have won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election among record-breaking victories and dramatic first-time resultsNigel Farage of the Reform Party celebrates as its candidate Sarah Pochin is declared the winner of the Runcorn and Helsby by-election

The local and mayoral elections have spelled a dramatic night – featuring victories so narrow they broke records, and Sir Keir Starmer’s failure of his first by-election test as Prime Minister.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK secured victory by just six votes over Labour in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election. Manchester Evening News politics writer Joseph Timan was reporting live from the count, saying: “It’s been a really dramatic night. In the end there were six votes in it.

“Reform were ahead by six votes, beating Labour, meaning that they’ve now got a new MP in Parliament – their sixth ever, but taking the total back up to five after the suspension of Rupert Lowe earlier this year.

“It’s their first female MP as well, Sarah Pochin, who was a former Conservative councillor.

“There’s a lot of joy among Reforms supporters here, but it’s been a really tense night. Six votes in it in the end. There was a recount at one point after there were just four votes separating two parties.”

Sarah Pochin’s victory for Reform in Runcorn and Helsby, in Cheshire, has set a new record for the smallest majority at a parliamentary by-election since the end of the Second World War. She won by just six votes, well below the previous record of 57, which was set at the Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election in 1973.

Nigel Farage and Sarah Pochin at the DCBL Stadium(Image: Copyright Unknown)

A parliamentary by-election was triggered when former Labour MP Mike Amesbury quit after admitting punching a constituent.

Amesbury won 53 per cent of the vote at the general election – and the defeat, along with Reform gains in other Labour heartlands, will cause unease in Downing Street.

Mr Farage said: “For the movement, for the party, it’s a very, very big moment indeed, absolutely, no question, and it’s happening right across England.”

He said it was a sign that Sir Keir had “alienated so much of his traditional base, it’s just extraordinary”.

It’s been a big night for Reform elsewhere, too. Dame Andrea Jenkyns was elected for Reform UK as the first Greater Lincolnshire mayor with a majority of almost 40,000 over the Conservatives.

Reform UK candidate Dame Andrea Jenkyns(Image: PA)

Labour said by-elections are “always difficult for the party in Government” and the events surrounding the Runcorn and Helsby vote made it “even harder”.

But a party spokesman said: “There are encouraging signs that our plan for change is working – NHS waiting lists, inflation and interest rates down with wages up – but we will go further and faster to deliver change with relentless focus on putting money back into people’s pockets.”

But Doncaster’s Labour mayor Ros Jones – who was re-elected with a majority of 698 after a battle with Reform – hit out at the Prime Minister’s administration.

She criticised decisions to means-test the winter fuel allowance, hike employers’ national insurance contributions and squeeze welfare.

Mayor Jones told the BBC: “I think the results here tonight will demonstrate that they need to be listening to the man, woman and businesses on the street, and actually deliver for the people, with the people.”

Ros Jones of the Labour Party(Image: Getty Images)

As well as the Runcorn by-election, voters on Thursday took part in contests to elect more than 1,600 councillors across 23 local authorities, along with four regional mayors and two local mayors.

Follow live updates as as results are announced today here

The majority of the results will be announced throughout Friday, but there was some good news for Labour as the party held the West of England mayoralty, with Helen Godwin beating Reform’s Arron Banks by 5,945 votes, with the Green Party’s Mary Page in third.

The party also held the North Tyneside mayoralty, although with a majority of just 444 ahead of Reform in second place.

Northumberland was the first county council to declare all its results just after 7am, with Conservatives winning 26 seats, Reform 23, Labour eight, Independents seven, Liberal Democrats three and Greens two.

With the Conservatives and Reform now holding 49 of the 69 seats on the council, it raises the question of whether the parties will have to deal to run it.

Reform also look set to take control of Staffordshire County Council after taking 24 of the 30 seats to be counted overnight, with Conservatives winning the other six.

It means when counting resumes later on Friday, Reform need to win just eight more seats to have a majority on the council.

The Tories said Sir Keir had been “roundly rejected” and Labour MPs will “rightfully question his leadership” after Reform’s by-election win.

But the Tories, in Kemi Badenoch’s first electoral test as leader, were also suffering at the hands of Reform and could also be squeezed by the Liberal Democrats.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “We are expecting to see big gains against the Conservatives in their former Middle England heartlands.”

The Green Party was also hoping for success in local contests, with co-leader Carla Denyer saying: “We are taking seats from both the Conservatives and Labour up and down the country as voters, understandably, move away from the tired old parties that have let us all down.”

Polls closed across England at 10pm on Thursday and results are expected to come in throughout Friday.