Reform UK has defeated Labour by a margin of just six votes to secure its first parliamentary seat in the new session of Parliament, marking a significant moment in the party’s electoral progress.
Sarah Pochin was elected MP for Runcorn and Helsby following a recount, in what is now the smallest recorded majority in a UK parliamentary by-election since 1945.
The seat was vacated after former Labour MP Mike Amesbury resigned from Parliament following an admission that he had punched a constituent. The resulting contest drew national attention, particularly amid mounting evidence of a growing shift in voter sentiment in traditional Labour and Conservative strongholds.
Pochin secured 12,645 votes to Labour candidate Karen Shore’s 12,639, in a closely fought contest that saw the Conservatives pushed into third place with 2,341 votes. Reform’s narrow victory reflects a 17 per cent swing from Labour, which, if replicated nationally, would suggest a potential landslide at the next general election.
Speaking after the declaration, Pochin said:
“The people of Runcorn and Helsby have spoken. Enough is enough. Enough Tory failure, enough Labour lies. And I want to thank every one of you who were brave enough to put a cross against my name on the ballot paper.”
She also offered support for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, describing him as the “next prime minister of this great country”.
Farage, who campaigned alongside Pochin, described the outcome as a “big moment” for UK politics. He said: “What it sends is a message not just from here but across the country that we are now the opposition to the Labour Party, who are in government, and actually in most parts of the country now, if you vote Conservative, you get Labour.”
Reform’s success in Runcorn was accompanied by further gains in the local elections, notably the election of former Conservative MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns as the party’s first regional mayor in Greater Lincolnshire. Jenkyns won the mayoralty by a margin of nearly 40,000 votes over the Conservative candidate.
In her acceptance speech, Jenkyns called for tougher measures on immigration and criticised current housing provisions for asylum seekers. “Tents are good enough for France, they should be good enough for here in Britain,” she said, adding that Reform would begin “rebuilding Britain inch by inch”.
The wider set of local election results remains mixed. Labour retained control of the mayoralties in North Tyneside, Doncaster and the West of England, but faced challenges from within its own ranks. Ros Jones, the re-elected mayor of Doncaster, criticised the national party leadership for recent policy decisions, including cuts to winter fuel payments and increases in National Insurance for businesses.
“I wrote as soon as the winter fuel allowance was actually mooted and I said it was wrong,” she told the BBC, adding that changes to disability benefits had also sparked concern in her constituency.
Asked if she believed Sir Keir Starmer was listening to such feedback, Jones replied: “Well, certainly on two or three occasions, I would say no they haven’t actually realised.”
The response from Labour headquarters acknowledged the setback in Runcorn, with a spokesperson stating that voters “clearly expect the Government to move faster” on delivering change.
Meanwhile, a Conservative Party spokesman said the result showed that “the change Sir Keir is delivering has been roundly rejected” and suggested Labour MPs would “rightfully question his leadership” following the by-election defeat.
Over 1,600 council seats and six mayoral contests were being decided in the 2025 local elections. Reform UK appeared poised to make further inroads, with early leads in areas such as Staffordshire and strong performances in traditionally Conservative-held territories.
Party deputy leader Richard Tice had earlier predicted victory in Greater Lincolnshire, citing growing disillusionment with both Labour and the Conservatives. The closeness of the Runcorn contest and the broader performance of Reform UK will likely intensify scrutiny on the two main parties ahead of the next general election.
Sir Keir Starmer did not campaign in Runcorn in the final days before the vote, a decision critics have interpreted as a sign of Labour’s internal concerns. In contrast, Farage remained highly visible on the campaign trail, culminating in Reform’s first Westminster by-election win under his leadership.
The outcome in Runcorn is expected to prompt reassessments within both major parties, with attention now turning to whether the trends evident in these elections will translate into broader shifts at the national level.
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