It's been a dramatic night and morning as election results come in, and Reform UK have the best reasons to celebrate. Dame Andrea Jenkyns was elected for Reform UK as the first Greater Lincolnshire mayor with a majority of almost 40,000 over the Conservatives, and Sarah Pochin’s victory for Reform in the Runcorn & Helsby by-election 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.
Local council results, and more mayor results, will be announced during the day. But there have already been major developments. Here are some of the key developments so far:
Labour suffered a devastating loss in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, which should have been an ultra-safe seat for them. Labour had a 14,700-vote majority in the constituency in 2024, making it the type of seat they could never lose. But Nigel Farage and Reform snatched it by six votes.
What was striking was the huge difference in attitude between the party leaders. Nigel Farage visited Runcorn and Helsby repeatedly to campaign there - but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer didn’t visit once.
This is why Nigel Farage branded Sir Keir a “coward” once the result was announced, saying: “He doesn’t lead from the front. He obviously feared they might lose, therefore he didn’t come.”
Conservatives came a very poor third in Runcorn with just 7.2% of the vote.
And the fact that Reform candidate Andrea Jenkyns won the election for mayor of Greater Lincolnshire is also a humiliation. Dame Andrea is a former Conservative MP, but nobody thinks she could have won if she stood as a Conservative candidate.
It means some people are asking whether Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is doing a good job.
But she won’t resign, according to Conservative vice chair Nigel Huddleston. He told the BBC: “Kemi’s position is certainly solid. She’s only been leader for six months.”
He said during the election campaign voters wanted to “hear more and see more” from her.
However he also said the Tories would now focus more on attacking Reform.
Some Labour figures think the poor results show the party needs a radical change of direction.
Labour MP Brian Leishman said: “Runcorn shows Labour must change course. People voted for real change last July and an end to austerity. The first 10 months haven’t been good enough or what the people want.”
Another Labour MP, Diane Abbott, said: “Labour leadership seems to think that the answer to these catastrophic election results is more of the same, including cuts to winter fuel payments.”
And 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.
She 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.”
Tempers have risen and there was a tense TV clash between Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and top Tory Richard Holden.
The Cabinet Minister told Mr Holden, a former party chair, to “take it down a notch” after he accused Labour of damaging the economy.
Mr Holden pointed out that the economy was growing faster under the last Conservative government than it is today under Labour.
But Ms Phillipson responded by repeatedly pointing out that Labour won the last election. Eventually she said: “If I could just occasionally get a word in edgeways, Richard, you left a terrible mess behind you and from everything that you’ve said this evening, not an ounce of understanding.”
Reform are now a threat to both Labour and the Conservatives, according to Polling expert Sir John Curtice.
He said Reform UK “are in business” following their victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
The Strathclyde University professor told BBC Breakfast: “The big question we were looking to these elections to answer was, the message of the opinion polls is that Reform are now posing a big threat to both Conservative and Labour, neck and neck with them according to the polls.
“Is that really true? And I think we now already know that the answer to that question is yes.
“Ukip never managed to win a parliamentary by-election afresh in the way that Reform have managed to do in Runcorn.”
Sir John said Reform had put in “some quite remarkable performances” as the more evenly spread vote was not a disadvantage to them at local level.
He added: “Reform are in business. They are a major challenge.”
