PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Nigel Farage’s Reform Party has achieved a significant breakthrough in England, winning local and mayoral elections and securing a parliamentary seat in a by-election (special election).
👥 Who’s Involved: Nigel Farage, voters in England, the Labour and Conservative parties.
📍 Where & When: Various locations across England, including Durham, Northumberland, and Essex, during the 2025 local elections.
💬 Key Quote: Nigel Farage stated, “People vote for us because they want change. They’re sick of the two-party system.”
⚠️ Impact: The election results signify a shift in the political landscape, with challenges for established parties like the governing Labour Party and the formerly governing Conservatives (Tories).
IN FULL:
Nigel Farage’s Reform Party has made massive inroads in England‘s local elections, taking a pivotal step beyond their previous political influence. The 2025 elections resulted in Reform securing vital positions, including a new parliamentary seat, and control of numerous municipal governments, suggesting a growing disenchantment with the establishment Labour and Conservative parties.
At the heart of this shift was the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, where Reform claimed victory. The leftist Labour Party previously regarded it as a stronghold, with a majority of nearly 14,700 votes from the general election held just last year.
In Durham County Council, Reform captured 17 seats formerly held by both Labour and the Conservatives. Nigel Farage told the media, “Two-party politics just died in front of our eyes. What happened here in County Durham, in Lancashire, and in Runcorn and Helsby, it’s pretty cataclysmic for the Labour Party.”
He emphasized that Reform aims to scrutinize government spending, reduce unnecessary expenditures, and prioritize core services over climate change initiatives. “We need to shrink the size of local government, reduce excessive spending, and get back to delivering the core services that county councils are supposed to provide,” Farage said.
Farage dismissed notions of an immediate bid for the prime ministership, emphasizing focus on forthcoming elections in Scotland and Wales as necessary steps before contemplating higher ambitions.
Image by IncMonocle.