'Britain is broken': SNP hit out at Reform election gains in England

THE SNP have said that “Britain is broken” following the rise of Reform in England’s local elections.

Nigel Farage’s party made gains from both Labour and the Conservatives, securing a victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes, giving them five MPs in the House of Commons. 

Party leader Farage claimed the results showed a “big moment” was taking place in politics.

It comes as a former Tory minister became the party’s first elected mayor, with local council results still coming in on Friday morning.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn stated that the results showed “Britain is broken”.

In a statement, the MP said: "Let’s build something better as an independent nation.

"With Nigel Farage smashing his way through Labour Party strongholds in England, and the Tories cowering at his every word, it’s never been more vital for the Scottish public to show courage and take control of our own destiny.

"The UK political establishment told Scotland that Brexit would never happen, Boris Johnson would never be Prime Minister and the Labour Party would never deliver austerity cuts. Now they will tell us they can stop Farage holding power.

"The brutal reality is that Keir Starmer promised change but instead he has delivered a series of broken promises that have betrayed the hopes and expectations of voters in Scotland.

“Enough is enough.”

(Image: Joe Giddens) Alba Party depute leader Neale Hanvey said: “These results show what the opinion polls have shown for some time that Reform UK are an electoral threat south of the border.   “The loss of a rock solid Labour seat to Reform shows the extent to which previously loyal Labour voters are throughly disillusioned with the failure of this Labour Government to deliver any tangible improvement in the lives of working people.   “The only reform Scotland needs is Independence. There is a better way and that is to take the power over our massive energy resources and economy into our own hands with Independence.”

It comes after one of the closest parliamentary contests ever in Runcorn and Helsby. 

New MP Sarah Pochin took the seat which Labour won with a majority of almost 14,700 less than a year ago.

Former Conservative minister Andrea Jenkyns was elected for Reform UK as the first Greater Lincolnshire mayor with a majority of almost 40,000 over her former party.

Meanwhile, the party looks set to gain control of Staffordshire County Council after taking 24 of the 30 seats to be counted overnight, with the Conservatives winning the other six.

It means when counting resumes later on Friday, the party needs to win just eight more seats to have a majority on the council.

The Runcorn and Helsby by-election ran alongside local elections across England, having been triggered when former Labour MP Mike Amesbury quit after admitting punching a constituent.

Amesbury won 53% of the vote at the General Election – and the defeat, along with Reform gains in other Labour heartlands, will cause unease in Downing Street.