Home Wounded Tories and a divided Labour left weigh how to confront the rise of Reform." Would you like it to sound more formal, analytical, or headline-style? byNews -May 02, 2025 0 What began as Thursday night at the DCBL Stadium in Widnes stretched into the early hours and finally into Friday morning, as volunteers carried out a full recount of the 32,655 votes cast in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election. By 5:30am, Nigel Farage had arrived, along with Reform UK’s candidate Sarah Pochin and Labour’s Karen Shore. By then, the expressions on their faces told the story. Reform knew they had edged it. Labour looked crushed. This result is just one part of a bigger, still-unfolding picture. Runcorn was the only Parliamentary by-election held on Thursday, with a wave of local results still to come — especially in parts of England where the Liberal Democrats are hoping for big gains. But for now, the spotlight is on Reform UK. Farage’s latest venture is showing it can convert favourable poll numbers into real-world votes — and, in some places, into wins. More importantly, the results hint at something deeper: Reform is emerging as a threat not just to the Conservatives, but to Labour too. The trend is striking. In contest after contest, win or lose, Reform is consistently taking between 20% and 33% of the vote — a significant and potentially destabilising share in key battlegrounds. Would you like a shorter version tailored for social media or a headline-style summary as well?4o Facebook Twitter
What began as Thursday night at the DCBL Stadium in Widnes stretched into the early hours and finally into Friday morning, as volunteers carried out a full recount of the 32,655 votes cast in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election. By 5:30am, Nigel Farage had arrived, along with Reform UK’s candidate Sarah Pochin and Labour’s Karen Shore. By then, the expressions on their faces told the story. Reform knew they had edged it. Labour looked crushed. This result is just one part of a bigger, still-unfolding picture. Runcorn was the only Parliamentary by-election held on Thursday, with a wave of local results still to come — especially in parts of England where the Liberal Democrats are hoping for big gains. But for now, the spotlight is on Reform UK. Farage’s latest venture is showing it can convert favourable poll numbers into real-world votes — and, in some places, into wins. More importantly, the results hint at something deeper: Reform is emerging as a threat not just to the Conservatives, but to Labour too. The trend is striking. In contest after contest, win or lose, Reform is consistently taking between 20% and 33% of the vote — a significant and potentially destabilising share in key battlegrounds. Would you like a shorter version tailored for social media or a headline-style summary as well?4o
