Farage's Reform UK Party support surges, wins closest ever by-election

2/5/2025 15:36

Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party made early gains in local English election results on Friday and dramatically won a parliamentary by-election by the smallest ever margin in the first major electoral test since last year's general election.



The populist Reform, led by the Brexit campaigner Farage, hopes a strong performance in English local elections to be announced through Friday will mark the start of the breakdown of Britain's century-old two-party political system, dominated by the governing Labour Party and opposition Conservatives.



In the most closely watched contest for the parliamentary seat of Runcorn and Helsby, Reform won by just six votes after a full recount was ordered.



Labour had won the seat in last summer's national election with a majority of almost 15,000 votes.



"It's been a huge night for Reform," Farage told reporters. "This is heartland Labour Party, their vote has collapsed and much of it has come to us."