Fri May 02 07:05:37 UTC 2025: ## Upstart Reform UK Party Scores Stunning By-Election Victory, Shakes Up British Politics

**London, May 2, 2025** – Reform UK, the hard-right party led by Nigel Farage, has pulled off a major upset in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, winning by a mere six votes. The victory, one of the closest in British history, sends shockwaves through the country’s political landscape just ten months after Labour’s landslide general election win.

Sarah Pochin, Reform UK’s candidate, defeated Labour’s Karen Shore in the traditionally Labour-held seat, previously vacated by Mike Amesbury following a conviction. The win grants Reform UK its fifth seat in the House of Commons, a significant jump from the 14% of the national vote they secured last year. Current polls suggest Reform UK’s support now rivals that of both Labour and the Conservatives.

The by-election win is part of a broader picture of local election results that are still being tallied. These mid-term elections serve as a crucial test of public opinion towards Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government. Both Labour and the Conservatives are bracing for losses. Reform UK, meanwhile, is aiming for substantial gains, hoping to displace the Conservatives as the main right-wing party before the next general election. They also secured a mayoralty in Greater Lincolnshire.

The results have prompted concern for the Conservative party, whose leader, Kemi Badenoch, acknowledged the potential for “very difficult” outcomes. The Conservatives performed exceptionally well in these areas in 2021, during a surge in popularity for Boris Johnson’s government.

Political scientist John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde commented that the results highlight the fragmentation of British politics, with Reform UK now posing a major threat to both Labour and the Conservatives. Farage, a controversial figure known for his hardline stance on immigration and his role in Brexit, has positioned Reform UK as a party focused on strong borders and immigration control, alongside policies echoing those of former US President Donald Trump.

The ongoing local election count will continue to reveal the extent of Reform UK’s success and the broader shift in British political allegiances.

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