Reform triumphs to win three by-elections as Labour slumps to humiliating quadruple defeat

Reform has won a trio of by-elections with a stunning surge in the vote - as Labour crashed to an embarrassing quadruple defeat in the wake of yet another humiliating U-turn. A total of 10 council by-elections were held across the country this week, with Nigel Farage's insurgent party storming to victory in three seats it had never even stood in before.

It gained the Wickford Park ward in Basildon from an independent with 40.6% of the vote and beat the Community First party in Whitworth, Rossendale, by scooping a 47.5% vote share. It also won the Stockbridge and Upper Don ward in Sheffield from Labour, winning 32.9% of the vote while Labour's slumped by 25.2%. That was not the only heavy defeat for Sir Keir Starmer's party - it lost the Shooters Hill ward in Greenwich, London, to the Greens, with its vote share crashing by 27.7%.

The Tories gained Chorley Council's Buckshaw and Whittle ward after Labour's vote share collapsed by 22.4%. Reform even knocked it into third, less than 3% behind the Tories.

Labour also lost Fountainbridge Craiglockhart in Edinburgh to the Liberal Democrats, albeit only after second-preference votes were counted.

Labour's vote share also fell in many of the other seats being contested on Thursday, while Reform came second in five seats.

Party chairman David Bull posted on social media site X after the results were revealed: "More electoral success overnight. Reform is on the march across the UK."

Reform has continued to soar both in the polls and at the ballot box following May's triumphant local elections, in which it gained hundreds of council seats.

The latest YouGov poll suggests Reform would emerge as the largest party in a hung parliament if a general election were held now, with a predicted 271 seats.

Labour has continued to collapse in the polls, losing 11% from last year's General Election to 23% now - 3% behind Reform. Other polls have put Mr Farage even further ahead.

It comes as Labour completed a triple of U-turns by climbing down on proposed benefit cuts in the wake of a massive rebellion by more than 100 of its own MPs.

It has already been forced to reinstate the winter fuel allowance and gave the green light to a national inquiry on grooming gangs, having previously insisted on only local hearings.