Sir Keir Starmer faces a fresh blow after Reform UK won a by-election in a Labour heartland.
Nigel Farage’s party snatched the Bilston North, Wolverhampton, ward from Labour – gaining 34.8% compared to second place Labour’s 25.1% and the Greens 23.4%.
The Conservatives won just 13.7% of the vote and the Liberal Democrats 2.9%, according to Britain Elects.
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said: “Reform Gain. The political tsunami continues. And more defections incoming. We will get our country back.”
Zia Yusuf, who chairs the party, said on X: “Another Reform WIN. A huge swing to Reform from Labour, with the Tories falling even further behind. Congratulations Anita Tolgyesi Stanley.”
Reform’s victory in Bilston North comes after the party won an election for Heanor & Loscoe Town Council and secured five parliamentary seats at the election in July.
Wolverhampton Conservative Group posted its commiserations to the Tory candidate, saying: “A great effort by Andy Randle under tough circumstances in the Bilston North by-election. Thank you to all volunteers and well done Andy.”
City of Wolverhampton Council confirmed the results just after midnight on Friday, confirming Ms Stanley secured 652 votes.
Labour’s Matthew Guy gained 471 votes, with Hardev Singh (Greens) on 438, Mr Randle on 257 and Julian Martin Donald (Lib Dem) on 55.
Reform’s flipping the seat comes after two councillors in Aberdeenshire defected to the party from the Tories in October.
Mark Findlater, a former leader of Aberdeenshire Council, and Laurie Carnie became the first to represent Mr Farage’s party north of the border.
Reform’s regional organiser Martyn Greene said that was “just the start” for the party, which saw its best showing in Scotland in the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat at the election in July.
He added the moves showed the Tory brand was broken not just in England but across the United Kingdom. Mr Farage had issued a call for Tory councillors to quit and join his party.
In a stark warning, he told Tory councillors in a letter seen by the BBC that Reform’s capabilities for campaigning in May’s local elections will be “formidable”.
Mr Farage, who is also the MP for Clacton-on-Sea, said he was writing to 1,352 Tory county councillors as a “huge” number of them agree with Reform and what it stands for.
The Conservatives have repeatedly argued that a vote for Reform in May is a vote for a Labour council.
