The right-wing Reform UK has won control of ten of 23 local authorities up for grabs

The right-wing Reform UK party has won 677 out of more than 1,600 seats in England's local elections, while the Labour and the Conservative parties suffered heavy defeats across the country.

As results began to trickle in on Friday, the party led by firebrand and Brexit proponent Nigel Farage emerged as the strongest performer in contests held in 23 local authorities across England, winning control of ten councils. These included eight taken from the Conservatives - Derbyshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and West Northamptonshire - along with Doncaster from Labour and Durham, where no party previously had a majority.

Reform also won hard-fought parliamentary by-elections in Runcorn and Helsby, snatching victory from Labour by just six votes after a recount. As a result, the party now controls five seats in the UK Parliament.

According to a BBC projection, if a general election were held today, Reform UK would receive 30% of the vote, ahead of Labour at 20% and the Conservatives at 15%. However, the next general election is not due until May 2029. The last one was held last year and saw Labour secure a landslide victory, riding a wave of public dissatisfaction with the economic policies of the Tories.

Commenting on his party's strides, Farage remarked: "In post-war Britain, no one has ever beaten both Labour and the Tories in a local election before. These results are unprecedented... Reform can and will win the next general election."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that while he felt a "sharp edge of fury," he said he understood the voters' choice while promising to "go further and faster in pursuit of... national renewal." Meanwhile, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch bluntly acknowledged that the elections were a predictable "bloodbath," stressing that the Tories must continue work to rebuild trust in the party.

Reform UK's rise has been driven by voter frustration over high levels of immigration, the rising cost of living, and what many see as years of mismanagement by both major parties. The party campaigned heavily on promises to cut migration - including by small boat crossings - lower taxes, and reduce council spending, positioning itself as the only alternative to what it calls "a failed political establishment."