Reform UK has lost two local by-elections called when the party’s councillors quit just days after being elected.
The Liberal Democrats and Tories on Thursday won council seats that Nigel Farage’s party had claimed in May’s local elections where Reform made huge gains and seized control of eight local authorities.
Keith Girling reclaimed the Newark West division on Nottinghamshire council for the Conservatives with a majority of just eight votes.
Reform’s Desmond Clarke had stepped down in the seat less than a week after being elected on May 1 citing “personal circumstances”.
Mr Girling on Friday said his win showed that the Tories “aren't dead”, but slammed his predecessor for wasting money as he claimed that running the rerunning the election had cost almost £25,000.
In the North East, the Liberal Democrats were celebrating a by-election victory in a council seat vacated by Reform on Durham County Council.
Terry Rooney won the Benfieldside ward vote on Thursday.
It was called following the resignation of Andrew Kilburn, who quit just days after his election in May when he failed to declare he was employed by the local authority and therefore unable to serve as a councillor.
Mr Rooney secured 824 votes, with Labour in second on 800, while Reform were pushed into third place with 747.
However, Reform did also gain another seat from the Conservatives in a by-election in Suffolk on Thursday.
In local elections earlier this year, Reform won 677 seats across the country, cementing it as a prime challenger to Britain’s main parties.
The party also beat Labour in the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election to make Sarah Pochin its fifth MP.
Amanda Hopgood, Lib Dem leader of the opposition in County Durham, and chair of the party's Reform Watch board said: "The Liberal Democrats are holding Reform to account, fighting to protect local services and stop Nigel Farage doing to our communities what his idol Donald Trump is doing to America.
"We will continue to stand up to Reform and take on their divisive politics, here in County Durham and across the country."
