REFORM UK have secured victory by six votes over Labour in Runcorn and Helsby as Keir Starmer failed his first by-election test as Prime Minister.
The narrow victory for new MP Sarah Pochin saw Reform taking a constituency where Labour previously had a majority of 14,700.
Labour's Mike Amesbury quit earlier this year after admitting to punching a constituent.
The Runcorn declaration was delayed as the close nature of the contest led to a recount, with Nigel Farage forced to wait before arriving at the count centre in Widnes for his moment of triumph.
The result came as Reform made gains against both Labour and the Conservatives across England in local contests, with party leader Farage claiming a “big moment” was taking place in politics.
The defeat, along with Reform gains in other Labour heartlands, will cause unease in Downing Street, with the win setting a new record for the smallest majority at a parliamentary by-election since the end of the Second World War.
Farage said: “For the movement, for the party, it’s a very, very big moment indeed, absolutely, no question, and it’s happening right across England.”
He said it was a sign that Starmer had “alienated so much of his traditional base, it’s just extraordinary”.
Labour said by-elections are “always difficult for the party in Government” and the events surrounding the Runcorn and Helsby vote made it “even harder”.
But a party spokesman said: “There are encouraging signs that our plan for change is working – NHS waiting lists, inflation and interest rates down with wages up – but we will go further and faster to deliver change with relentless focus on putting money back into people’s pockets.”
However, Doncaster’s Labour mayor Ros Jones – who was re-elected with a majority of 698 after a battle with Reform – hit out at the Prime Minister’s administration.
She criticised decisions to means-test the winter fuel allowance, hike employers’ National Insurance contributions and squeeze welfare.
She told the BBC: “I think the results here tonight will demonstrate that they need to be listening to the man, woman and businesses on the street, and actually deliver for the people, with the people.”
As well as the Runcorn by-election, voters on Thursday took part in contests to elect more than 1600 councillors across 23 local authorities, along with four regional mayors and two local mayors.
There was some good news for Labour as the party held the West of England mayoralty, with Helen Godwin beating Reform’s Arron Banks by 5945 votes, with the Green Party’s Mary Page in third.
The party held the North Tyneside mayoralty, although with a majority of just 444 ahead of Reform in second place.
The Tories said the change showed Starmer had been “roundly rejected” and Labour MPs will “rightfully question his leadership” after Reform’s by-election win.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Now we know why Keir Starmer never bothered to visit the area.”
The Tories, in Kemi Badenoch’s first electoral test as leader, were also suffering at the hands of Reform and could be squeezed by the Liberal Democrats.
Reform’s Dame Andrea Jenkyns, a former Conservative minister, has became Reform UK's first mayor, winning the Greater Lincolnshire mayoral race.
Reform look set to take control of Staffordshire County Council after taking 24 of the 30 seats to be counted overnight, with Conservatives winning the other six.
It means when counting resumes later on Friday, Reform need to win just eight more seats to have a majority on the council.
Conservative frontbencher Helen Whately told BBC’s Newsnight: “We’re going to get a real battering in these elections.”
Shadow communities secretary Kevin Hollinrake acknowledged the party was on course to lose around 500 councillors.
He told the BBC: “We thought we’d lose half our seats.”
If it was worse, “that would be very disappointing”, he added.
LibDem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “We are expecting to see big gains against the Conservatives in their former Middle England heartlands.”
The Green Party was also hoping for success in local contests, with co-leader Carla Denyer saying: “We are taking seats from both the Conservatives and Labour up and down the country as voters, understandably, move away from the tired old parties that have let us all down.”
