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Why UK’s Makerfield by-election matters far beyond one parliamentary seat

elections last month, Reform [swept up hundreds of council seats](/news/2026/5/8/uk-elections-early-results-and-takeaways-will-starmer-have-to-resign) at Labour’s expense. Overall, Labour lost nearly 1,500 local council seats while Reform surged from 100 to about 1,450 seats

‘Leader of the pack’: What next as Reform makes huge election gains?

contest, which Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, said was seeing “Labour … being wiped out by Reform in many of their most traditional areas”. Reform UK has also gained more than 500 seats and four councils

Campaigning sprint finish ahead of elections around Britain tomorrow

many, but not all, parts of England, as more than 5,000 seats on 136 councils are contested, as well as six mayoral vacancies. For weeks already, people having been casting their ballot by post

What does Makerfield make of by-election and can Burnham win?

seat since it was created in 1983, it has recently seen Reform UK sweep the board in local council elections, like many other parts of the country. Reform's rise is one of the factors

Early England election results make it clear: we are in an era of five-party politics

UK, which began from a standing start, having not contested the previous elections for these councils, and now has almost 400 councillors with undoubtedly many more to come. The size of losses and gains will

Keir Starmer under pressure to agree exit plan after election mauling

council seats in England, many to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which made big gains across the Midlands and the north as well as taking seats from the Tories in the South. After more than

Who could challenge Keir Starmer for the UK PM’s job? Meet the candidates

council seats, Reform UK surged from fewer than 100 to around 1,450 seats under Farage. Support for Labour evaporated, even in several of its traditional strongholds in London, in former so-called “Red Wall

Local election campaigning enters final week as forecaster warns Labour could lose 1,850 English seats –UK politics live

contested in the vaccine bounce year of 2021. > > Do they gain any notable councils or stop Reform from taking control of target councils? Yes > > Have they improved on the national equivalent vote last year? About

Starmer vows to fight on as PM despite heavy local election losses for Labour

many at the hands of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Starmer struck a defiant note on Friday morning in the face of calls from some of his MPs to quit, insisting he remained as determined

‘I’ll talk to work on Monday’: what happens when a ‘paper candidate’ actually wins

many new candidates were elected. In Camden, a byelection is already on the cards after a secondary-school teacher who was elected for the Greens [immediately quit](https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/labour-inch-over-the-line-to-hold-camden-council-but-lose-leader) as councillor because

In Britain, Brexit is debated again as Starmer’s grip on power slips

contest, has said that while he would not try to reverse Brexit, it “has been damaging”. ![ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD, ENGLAND - MAY 20: Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester while on a door to door canvassing

Nigel Farage hails ‘historic shift in politics’ after Reform UK election gains

many voters identify more closely with neighbouring Essex. Farage said the party was “two-thirds” of the way to where it wanted to be for the general election when it came to planning and fundraising

What you need to know about the 7 May elections in England, Scotland and Wales

contests will also run on 7 May, in Watford and five London boroughs - Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets. In council elections, voters generally have one vote for each available seat in an election

Wes Streeting insists he can win Labour leadership race despite ‘underdog’ status

seat appearing, in the view of many MPs, to seal his fate. While many observers were sceptical that Streeting had the support of the 81 MPs required to trigger a leadership contest when he stood

What next for Starmer? Five scenarios in Labour leadership crisis

Many Labour MPs want him to set out a timetable for his departure, an option that could offer a more dignified and orderly exit at a time of Sir Keir's choosing

Keir Starmer's party lost big in U.K. local elections. Here's what comes next.

contested, losing more than 1,100 seats that it had previously held. Meanwhile, the right-wing populist Reform UK party gained more than 1,400 seats. [![How the Epstein files are upending U.K. politics

Challenge Starmer by Monday or I will, Labour MP tells cabinet

contest. "My preferred option is for the cabinet to do a reshuffle within itself, where there's plenty of talent, and for Keir to be given a different role, which he might enjoy, perhaps

Six things to watch out for in the Scottish election

UK-wide, the party managed just 0.2% of the list vote. But after Nigel Farage returned to the front lines the party has exploded in national polls and is hoping to make a real impact

‘Starmer’s referendum’: How local elections could expose a fractured UK

council services. But this election cycle, analysts say, could be different. The voting system is designed for a two-party system and not today’s multi-party landscape. Most of these elections, particularly in England

John Curtice: Early results show how fragmented UK politics has become

UK politics has become The overnight local election results have confirmed that, for the time being at least, electoral politics in Britain has become highly fragmented. Reform are certainly the winners. The party