PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Sarah Pochin, representing Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, has won a by-election (special election) in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency (electoral district), ousting the governing Labour Party by six votes.
👥 Who’s Involved: Sarah Pochin of Reform UK, Karen Shore of Labour, Nigel Farage.
📍 Where & When: Runcorn and Helsby, northwest England; results overnight on May 2, 2025.
💬 Key Quote: Nigel Farage described the victory as a “huge night for Reform.”
⚠️ Impact: The victory highlights Reform’s growing influence in British politics, despite Labour’s substantial parliamentary majority.
IN FULL:
The Reform Party’s Sarah Pochin clinched victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election (special election) in England by a margin of just six votes, unseating the governing Labour Party in what was previously a “safe” seat. The election, which took place in northwest England, saw Pochin defeat Labour candidate Karen Shore after a recount. The win marks a significant gain for Nigel Farage’s party and signals a shift in the political landscape.
The by-election was initiated after the previous Labour Member of Parliament (MP) resigned following a criminal conviction. “Victory in Runcorn & Helsby proves we are now the opposition party to this Labour government,” said Reform leader Nigel Farage. “With this and other results tonight, it’s clear that if you vote Conservative you will get Labour. But if you vote Reform, you get Reform.”
The Brexit champion was referring to the broader municipal and mayoral elections across England taking place at the same time as the Runcorn by-election. Results are still coming in, but those declared so far indicate massive gains by Reform, huge losses for the Conservative Party, which governed from 2010 to mid-2024, and comparatively small but still significant losses for Labour.
In the House of Commons, Labour retains a substantial majority, holding 403 MPs compared to Reform’s five, while the Conservatives are the primary opposition, with 121 seats. However, the parties’ relative popularity is not as far apart as this would indicate, and national polls now regularly show Reform equalling and in many cases leading the two establishment parties.
In the Runcorn contest, the Conservative candidate managed only a little over seven percent of the vote, while Reform secured 38.72 percent against Labour’s 38.70 percent. The electoral system in the United Kingdom, which follows a first-past-the-post model, tends to favor larger parties. The Conservatives, in particular, have often pressured right-leaning voters dissatisfied with their left-leaning governance into backing them instead of Farage-led parties to keep Labour out.
The Runcorn results suggest this line of argument is no longer effective, with voters ready to vote for Reform in large numbers regardless of the scare tactics employed by the establishment parties.
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