In normal political times, local election and by-election results would show a bad night for the government and a good night for the official opposition. Not so with this set of results in English councils and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, where both Labour and the Conservatives have been given bloody noses and Nigel Farage is celebrating the best set of results for Reform in both its history and that of its predecessor party, Ukip.
There are a number of councils yet to declare, but what we know so far is that Reform beat Labour in Runcorn by just six votes (confirmed by a recount) and has picked up more than 500 council seats, as well as its first mayoral positions. Andrea Jenkyns and former boxer Luke Campbell won in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull & East Yorkshire respectively, and the party now has its first female MP, with Sarah Pochin winning in Runcorn.
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