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Nigel Farage of the Reform Party celebrates as its candidate Sarah Pochin is declared the winner of the Runcorn and Helsby by-election <\/p>\nReform 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 <\/p>\n
The local and mayoral elections<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Nigel Farage’s Reform UK secured victory by just six votes over Labour<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n “It’s their first female MP as well, Sarah Pochin, who was a former Conservative councillor.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Sarah Pochin\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n A parliamentary by-election<\/a> was triggered when former Labour MP Mike Amesbury quit after admitting punching a constituent.<\/p>\n Amesbury won 53 per cent of the vote at the general election \u2013 and the defeat, along with Reform gains in other Labour heartlands, will cause unease in Downing Street.<\/p>\n Mr Farage said: \u201cFor the movement, for the party, it\u2019s a very, very big moment indeed, absolutely, no question, and it\u2019s happening right across England.\u201d<\/p>\n He said it was a sign that Sir Keir had \u201calienated so much of his traditional base, it\u2019s just extraordinary\u201d.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Labour said by-elections are \u201calways difficult for the party in Government\u201d and the events surrounding the Runcorn and Helsby vote made it \u201ceven harder\u201d.<\/p>\n But a party spokesman said: \u201cThere are encouraging signs that our plan for change is working \u2013 NHS<\/a> waiting lists, inflation and interest rates down with wages up \u2013 but we will go further and faster to deliver change with relentless focus on putting money back into people\u2019s pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n But Doncaster\u2019s Labour mayor Ros Jones \u2013 who was re-elected with a majority of 698 after a battle with Reform \u2013 hit out at the Prime Minister\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n She criticised decisions to means-test the winter fuel allowance, hike employers\u2019 national insurance contributions and squeeze welfare.<\/p>\n Mayor Jones told the BBC<\/a>: \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Follow live updates as as results are announced today here<\/a><\/p>\n 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\u2019s Arron Banks by 5,945 votes, with the Green Party\u2019s Mary Page in third.<\/p>\n The party also held the North Tyneside mayoralty, although with a majority of just 444 ahead of Reform in second place.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> three and Greens two.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It means when counting resumes later on Friday, Reform need to win just eight more seats to have a majority on the council.<\/p>\n The Tories said Sir Keir had been \u201croundly rejected\u201d and Labour MPs will \u201crightfully question his leadership\u201d after Reform\u2019s by-election win.<\/p>\n But the Tories, in Kemi Badenoch\u2019s first electoral test as leader, were also suffering at the hands of Reform and could also be squeezed by the Liberal Democrats.<\/p>\n Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: \u201cWe are expecting to see big gains against the Conservatives in their former Middle England heartlands.\u201d<\/p>\n The Green Party was also hoping for success in local contests, with co-leader Carla Denyer saying: \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/0_Reformwin.jpg\")
Nigel Farage and Sarah Pochin at the DCBL Stadium(Image: Copyright Unknown)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/0_Local-elections-2025.jpg\")
Reform UK candidate Dame Andrea Jenkyns(Image: PA)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/0_Doncaster-Mayoral-Count-And-Declaration.jpg\")
Ros Jones of the Labour Party(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n