Local elections LIVE: Reform UK on edge of huge victory as Runcorn 'too close to call'

All eyes are on the Runcorn and Helsby by-election tonight, where Reform could take a seat in the House of Commons from Labour.

Runcorn's former MP, Mike Amesbury, resigned the seat in March after pleading guilty to punching one of his constituents.

Turnout figures for the election have just been released, showing a marked fall in voters turning up to have their say, with 46.3 per cent of the electorate taking part. Down from 59.7 per cent in the General Election.

Results are expected around 3am.

Reform's chairman Zia Yusuf is at the by-election vote count as he appears positive. His party has recieved their first few wins in the local elections, as he eagerly awaits the results for Runcorn and Helsby.

Reform has had a great start to the night, winning the vast majority of council seats that have been called so far.

In a Northumberland ward, the Reform candidate took a huge 59 per cent of the vote, more than Labour and the Conservatives combined.

Reform also won big in Rochdale, with Jordan Tarrant-Short taking the Balderstone and Kirkholt seat from Labour. Then in the south, the insurgent party took another seat on Norfolk County Council, with a third more votes than the nearest party.

The result in the Harlow Council by-election for the Mark Hall ward has come in, and it's another big win for Reform.

Reform beat out the Conservative candidate in the seat by five points, taking 31.9 per cent of the vote.

Labour saw a huge collapse in their vote, taking just 22.7 per cent and falling into third place. This is a fall in support of almost a quarter.

One of the very first results of the night has come in from the North East, with a resounding win for Reform in a Labour heartland.

The local council seat of Throston in Hartlepool has been flipped by the Reform UK candidate Amanda Elizabeth Napper, who won a whopping 58.3 per cent of the vote.

Her Labour opposition, Lyndsey Allen, trailed with just 31.8 per cent of the vote. This means that Reform increased their 2024 vote in this seat by a massive 42 per cent.

This could be an early warning sign for Labour, as Reform elbows its way into the two-party political system.

Responding to Reform's first win of the night, the party leader said: "The sun has got his hat on".

In the first local election result of the night, Reform UK win the Throston Ward of Hartlepool Borough Council, gaining from Labour.

Reform had 58.3% of the vote, while Labour took 31.8%.

A handful of protesters holding Stand Up to Racism placards gathered outside of the DCBL Halton Stadium, where the vote count for the Runcorn and Helsby by-election is taking place.

Nigel Farage had spent the day campaigning in the constituency where his party is the current favourite among bookmakers to win.

With no results in yet, most political party chairs would be cautious about predicting 'historic' wins, but Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf was anything but while making the rounds on election broadcasts.

"I think this is probably the most important set of council elections in this country's history because it marks an end to the stranglehold - that duopoly - of the two old parties that they've had on British politics for about a century now," he told Newsnight.

Yusuf added: "Tonight, regardless of what the end result is, it's clearly going to be monumental progress year on year.

"Clearly we're on a path to delivering on that mission to 350 to 400 Reform MPs and Nigel as our prime minister in 2029."

One of the Brexit campaign's major supporters and financial backers is making a bid for Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority at this election under the Reform banner - Aaron Banks.

The Brexit stalwart is in one of the tightest races in the country. Recent polls placed Banks neck-and-neck with three of his main competitors, Labour, the Lib Dems, and the Greens.

The count for the mayoral seat is now underway in Bristol, with ballot boxes open and being tallied by volunteers. The result is expected to be among the earliest of the night, with the outcome likely coming around 2am.

The Tories and Labour, who both fear a bruising night, have clashed over their records in Government.

Watch the row between Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch released a message, thanking her party's campaigners.

The Tories are braced for a disastrous night where they could lose hundreds of councillors and control of many of their local authorities.

In a message on social media, she writes: "To everyone who has been out knocking on doors, delivering leaflets, and proudly championing our message—thank you.

"Over the past month, I’ve travelled the length and breadth of the country, visiting every community casting their vote today. At every stop, I’ve seen the very best of our party—and the very best of our country.

"We are a remarkable party: united by purpose, driven by service, and open to all—regardless of age or background—who want to improve their towns and communities.

"Not only have you represented our party—you’ve represented the true spirit of public service. And for that, I thank you."

Reform chair Zia Yusuf is refusing to predict victory for his party in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election - but said his party would make gains in the other elections.

Asked about the by-election, he said: “They are counting votes as we speak. I don’t want to pre-empt that result.”

He said Reform was “in the running” in the constituency and this was an astonishing achievement. “This is one of Labour’s safest seats,” he said, and Reform had made “monumental progress”.

And he said Reform would win “hundreds” of council seats as well as “one, maybe two” of the four regional mayor votes.

Conservative Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately has predicted Conservatives will do badly once the votes are counted, and she says Reform will do well.

She said on BBC2's Newsnight: "We're going to get a real battering in these elections ... Reform is going to have a good night and a good day tomorrow."

A Labour source has told the Daily Express it is "super tight" in Runcorn and can't be called "either way".

The key, they think, is whether Nigel Farage and Reform UK have managed to get their supporters out in enough numbers.

This won't become fully clear for the next couple of hours, I've been told.

Polling expert Professor John Curtice says the British two party system may be "on its last legs".

For decades it's been a battle between Labour and the Conservatives, he said. But voters are increasingly supporting other parties. "If the polls are right, fewer than half of people actually now would vote Conservative or Labour."

Parties that will benefit if the polls are right include the Liberal Democrats and of course Reform.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said Labour and the Conservatives "are more fearful of the results tonight than we are."

The Runcorn and Helsby by-election is said to be too close to call, with both Reform and Labour holding hopes they have got over the line.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “We are expecting to see big gains against the Conservatives in their former Middle England heartlands.

“Last year the Liberal Democrats won a record number of MPs and became the largest third party in 100 years.

"Now we are on course for our seventh year of local election gains, making this our best ever winning streak.

“Voters have delivered their verdict on a Conservative Party that broke the country and a Labour government that is too timid to fix it.

“Every Liberal Democrat councillor elected will be a strong local champion fighting tirelessly to deliver the change that people are crying out for.”

In a short statement, Nigel Farage's Reform UK said: “We have fought a strong campaign.

"The two major parties are more fearful of the results tonight than we are.”

Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves said: “These elections were always going to be a challenge, being held largely in areas dominated by the Conservatives, often for decades.

"That’s why Labour candidates stood on a promise to bring change right across our country.

“There are promising signs that the Labour government’s Plan for Change is already starting to turn around 14 years of Tory failure. NHS waiting lists have fallen consistently.

"Free breakfast clubs are starting to roll out in every primary school. Some 3.5 million workers got a pay rise with the minimum wage increase this month, with pensions rising thanks to Labour’s commitment to the triple lock.

“But we know people aren’t yet fully feeling the benefit and we are just as impatient for change as the rest of the country.

"However the results turn out this evening, this Labour government will go further and faster in turning our country around and giving Britain the future it deserves.”

The Conservatives declared of today's local elections: “Tonight will be the first real test of Keir Starmer’s Labour government, ten months after they won an unprecedented majority at the General Election.

“The Conservatives have started on the process of renewing our party under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership.

"But we also have always been clear that these would be tough elections for the party - defending an incredibly high watermark from 2021 when we took two-thirds of all seats.

"If the 2024 General Election was replicated on today’s battleground, we would lose control of almost every single Council.

“Labour won a historic supermajority last year in a large number of areas that are facing local elections tonight and it would be reasonable to expect a government with such a commanding presence in Westminster to make serious progress tonight.

"Anything less than this ought to raise serious questions about the direction Labour is taking this country, and about Keir Starmer’s own leadership.”

Dame Andrea Jenkyns says it has been "magical" on the campaign trail as she and Richard Tice urged voters to head to the polls.

The BBC has published a handy guide of when some of the key results could be declared.

Between 02:00 and 07:30:

Between 07:30 and 15:00:

Between 15:00 and 19:00:

The Tories insist there are two hours left to vote and are urging people to get out and cast their ballots.

A leaked confidential memo sent to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has predicted the Conservatives will lose control of all the councils they are defending – up to 770 seats – as well as all the mayoral elections taking place.

The document says the Conservatives expect Reform to pick up 500 council seats and win the Runcorn by-election, with the Tories slumping to third, the Telegraph has reported.

A handful of Kneecap festival performances have been cancelled as counter-terrorism police investigate footage which allegedly shows the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah".

Politicians are pushing for the group to be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival line-up while artists including Pulp, Paul Weller, DJ Annie Mac, Massive Attack, and Primal Scream have defended the band.

The footage from November 2023 appears to show one member of the group saying: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP."

The group apologised on Monday to the families of murdered MPs but claimed footage of the incident had been "exploited and weaponised", while they also said they have "never supported" Hamas or Hezbollah, which are both banned organisations in the UK.

- Cancelled Kneecap gigs

- Eden Sessions

The Irish rap group were due to perform their first show in Cornwall at the Eden Project on July 4.

An Eden Sessions spokesperson said on Tuesday: "Eden Sessions Limited announced today that the Kneecap show at Eden Project scheduled for July 4 2025 has been cancelled.

"Ticket purchasers will be contacted directly and will be fully refunded.

"The refund process will commence from Wednesday, April 30 2025. Refunds will be processed against the original payment cards used.

"Purchasers should allow six working days for funds to be received into their accounts."

The Eden Sessions are a series of concerts which take place at the Cornwall botanical gardens yearly, with this year's series including performances from Biffy Clyro, The Script and Texas.

The Streets frontman Mike Skinner was slated for a DJ set at the Kneecap concert.

A reason for the show's cancellation was not given.

- Plymouth Pavilions

After their Cornwall gig was cancelled, Moglai Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Provai announced they would be playing at Plymouth Pavilions on the date they were due to play at the Eden Project.

On Thursday, a note on the Plymouth Pavilions website said the concert had been scrapped.

"Having taken advice from relevant authorities and agencies, it has been agreed that Kneecap's performance at our venue will no longer go ahead", it said.

"The safety of our valued visitors is always our primary concern and as such we feel confident in this decision - no further communications will be entered into."

Former Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson has blasted the party's position on immigration.

Mr Johnson warned the university sector could be hammered in efforts to slash net migration.

The Home Office is gearing up to overhaul the graduate visa route, making it harder for foreign grads to stay without landing high-skilled jobs.

"They need to recognise that we have world class universities, and they are under threat for a variety of reasons," Johnson told the BBC.

"If they don't grasp this, if they make the mistake of believing that the way to solve the migration problem is to ruin our universities and close some of them - that's how stark this is - they will be making a very big mistake."

The Tories have branded the 'smash the gangs' claim a "sick joke" as the Home Office confirmed 11,000 migrants have crossed the Channel this year.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Keir Starmer has absolutely no control over who is coming into this country – the people crossing the Channel are mainly young men, some of whom are criminals and extremists.

“⁠Labour’s ⁠claim that they are ‘smashing the gangs’ is a sick joke – everyone can see they have absolutely no plan to stop these crossings.

“The only way to stop this madness is to promptly remove those arriving to a location outside Europe, like Rwanda. But Labour cancelled the Rwanda deterrent before it had even started.

⁠⁠“Keir Starmer is too weak and does not have the will to fix this. The Labour Government has surrendered our borders to the people smugglers.”

More than 11,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year.

Some 294 people made the journey in five boats on Wednesday, bringing the provisional total for the year to date to 11,074, according to the latest Home Office data.

This comes after 473 migrants arrived on Monday, which brought the cumulative total for 2025 to 10,358. Crossings continued on Tuesday.

It is the earliest point in the calendar year the 10,000 milestone has been reached.

Last year, the figure of 10,000 was not reached until May 24, while in 2023 it was June 17.

For 11,000, that number of arrivals was not reached until June 6 last year, and it was June 23 in 2023.

Former Chancellor George Osborne has suggested Kemi Badenoch should sack Robert Jenrick amid questions about whether he is planning a leadership coup.

Speaking on his podcast with Ed Balls, Mr Osborne compared Ms Badenoch with Keir Starmer, who expelled Jeremy Corbyn after winning the leadership which helped restore loyalty within the party.

He also claimed Mr Jenrick is positioning himself to be Nigel Farage's Chancellor of the Exchequer in a future government.

Mr Osborne said: "Lots of people say, ‘He's Farage’s Chancellor.’ That's the kind of word on the Tory Street, that's what he's aiming to be."

A major Conservative donor has urged Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to do a deal with Nigel Farage and Reform.

Businessman Mohamed Amersi, who has given the Tories £525,000, said: "This is an existential moment for the Conservatives: it requires imaginative thinking and bold decision making. To survive, I believe they must make a pact with Reform. Voters are crying out for someone with charisma to put the Great into Britain again."

But writing for express.co.uk, he suggested a deal could not happen while Kemi Badenoch was Conservative leader. He said: " Although there is much about Kemi Badenoch that I admire, she does not have the skills or experience to deliver such a pact. It will need to be someone who understands how Reform and Nigel Farage work."

The comments will not be welcomed by the Conservative leadership - not just because he seems to be suggesting Kemi Badenoch should be replaced but also because of fears that talk about a Reform-Tory pact puts some voters off supporting the Tories.

Kemi Badenoch has ruled out a deal with Reform, saying it makes no sense to have a pact with a party that wants to destroy her party.

Use our interactive map here to find out if there are council or mayoral elections in your area today.

There are around 1600 council seats up for grabs, along with six mayoralties and a Westminster by-election.

There should have been even more, but elections were postponed in Reform-leaning areas like Essex and Norfolk amid local government reorganisation.

Voters will "deliver gains of net zero seats" to Labour at the local elections following the party's "kamikaze" environmental policies in government, the Tories have claimed.

Shadow minister Paul Holmes highlighted differing views between the Government and former prime minister Sir Tony Blair on efforts to limit fossil fuels before adding Labour is "dreading" the results of the elections.

The Commons clash occurred as Labour faces a twin challenge of council and mayoral elections across England and a by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, a seat Labour won convincingly in 2024 but that is expected to go down to the wire in a contest with Reform UK.

Voters will have until 10pm on Thursday to cast their ballots.

Experts have suggested the Tories could lose around 500 seats, with gains for the Liberal Democrats and, especially, Reform.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Holmes said: "I'm sure members on both sides of the House will be looking on with some confusion at the chaos in the Government's ranks following the former prime minister Tony Blair's suggestion that the Government's plan to phase out fossil fuels in the short-term are doomed to fail.

"That election-winning machine, who many on that side of the House now groan at the simple mention of his name, has spoken sense.

"Now, of course it can be frustrating when former leaders weigh in on debates with contrary views to the parties they once led, believe me I know how the Leader of the House and the Energy Secretary (Ed Miliband) feel, we've had more than our fair share.

"But she and the Government know that the former prime minister has a point. We know the Government is dreading the local elections today as the first real test of their performance in the nine months since they took power.

"And what will we see, Mr Speaker? An ideological kamikaze dive towards net zero carbon emissions that tonight will deliver gains of net zero seats."

Polling days in the UK have become a fun opportunity for people to enjoy and share their love of dogs - thanks to the #DogsAtPollingStations hashtag which is now an established part of election day.

But not all dogs are so lucky, with many instead spending polling day in a rescue centre.

Japanese Akita Mika has spent 500 days in care with the RSPCA North Somerset Branch.

The five-year-old pooch would prefer to be the only dog in her new home but is really fond of people and is hugely affectionate.

Do you think you could make Mika join the #DogsAtPollingStations trend in time for the next election?

If so, visit this page.

Leading bookmaker Coral makes Reform UK long odds-on, at 1-4, to win the Runcorn & Helsby by-election. Labour, who held the seat prior to Mike Amesbury's resignation, are 11-4 to retain the seat, while the Conservatives are 14-1.

Coral's John Hill said: "Reform UK have shortened once again in our Runcorn & Helsby by-election betting They are now long odds-on to win the seat from Labour,"

The polling aggregator Britain Elects, which has a good track record for forecasting election results, has published its final forecast for today's council elections.

The firm projects the following for each party:

Conservative: 483 (-538)

Labour: 334 (+72)

LibDem: 314 (+104)

Reform: 311 (+311)

Other: 109 (-1)

Green: 56 (+17)

Britain Elects has also republished the previous Runcorn and Helsby by-election forecast, which suggests Labour will hold the seat by around 1% of the vote.

Here is a guide to the local elections in May, with an interactive map, full list of the scheduled polls and details of the votes to watch out for.

Read the full guide here

There are 12 metro mayors across England - 11 are Labour and one is a Conservative but what do they actually do?

Find out here

Contrary to popular belief, you are able to use a pen to vote in elections, although there are risk associated with doing so.

Those who turn out to vote today will be able to do so with whatever writing instrument they choose, although there are two practical reasons why pencil is often preferred.

Find out why here

Millions of voters in England have been denied the chance to vote today thanks to a key decision made by Angela Rayner earlier this year. Many Brits will be voting for their representatives at local council level in a number of areas from Northumberland County Council in the north east of England, down to Cornwall Council in the south west on Thursday, May 1.

Read the full story here

The last thing a party wants is to have an internal bust-up just as its fighting to win seats. That's exactly what happened with Labour.

Tony Blair seized headlines when he warned that attempts to reach net zero by reducing energy consumption were “doomed to fail”.

Reform UK and, more recently, the Conservatives have launched high-profile criticism of the Government's net zero plans. Having Blair's voice in the mix has not gone down well.

The Guardian details the strength of anger. it quotes Government insiders saying:

Millions of voters will head to the polls on Thursday for the local elections.

A total of 1,641 council seats are up for grabs across 23 local authorities in England, while four regional mayors and two local mayors will be elected.

A by-election is also taking place to choose a new MP for Runcorn and Helsby.

When polls close in England at 10pm, most councils will not begin counting the results of the local and mayoral elections until the following day – though a handful of key declarations are due overnight.

The Express looks at when to expect the local election results here.

You can check if there is an election in your area by entering your postcode using our interactive tool on this page.

Kemi Badenoch is right to take her time and not rush out policy, according to Shadow Leader of the Commons Jesse Norman.

With the Tories in third place in the polls and braced for difficult local elections today, there is bound to be debate about whether the party has the right strategy.

Mr Norman has written a defence of Mrs Badenoch's approach for the Tory website Conservative Home. He writes:

People are voting todaying amid woeful levels of confidence about the economy.

Pollsters Ipsos reported this week that "net economic optimism in Britain has fallen to the lowest levels ever recorded since Ipsos began collecting this data in 1978".

It found "75% of Britons expect the economy to get worse over the next 12 months (up 8ppts since last month), and just 7% think it will improve".

This does not bode well for parties who could take flak for their management of the economy in recent times.

Ipsos says its "economic optimism index" figure of -68 is "slightly lower than levels seen during some of the most challenging economic periods in recent history, including the January 1980 recession under Margaret Thatcher, after the winter of discontent (-64), the global financial crisis of July 2008 under Gordon Brown (-64), and the cost-of-living crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine in June 2022 (-64)."

Could a party lose more than 100 seats and then celebrate? Absolutely.

The Conservatives have been tipped to lose up to 525 council seats today. As Kemi Badenoch explained on GB News:

Supporters of Mrs Badenoch will fiercely resist calls for a change at the top if the party suffers a nightmare set of elections today. The Tory leader said:

Elections are the ultimate opinion poll. It's one thing for people to tell pollsters which party they intend to vote for - but this counts for nothing if they won't actually cast a vote when the election comes.

Politico's Poll of Polls puts Reform UK in the top spot on 26%, ahead of Labour on 24% and the Conservatives on 21%. The Liberal Democrats are on 13% while the Greens are on 10%.

The challenge for Reform today is to live up to the hype. If they demonstrate they can get people to the polls then the traditional parties of power will have even more cause to worry.

Temperatures across England are soaring on Thursday as Britons head to the polls to vote in local elections.

Forecasters predict the temperatures could come close to 30C, making it the warmest local election day on record.

You can:

Use your own pen or pencil to mark your ballot paper

Wear clothing with political slogans

Take children with you but they are not allowed to mark the ballot paper

You can't:

Vote at a different polling station to the one on your polling card

Take photos inside the polling station

Show anyone your marked ballot paper or tell anyone inside the polling station how you have voted

Discuss candidates or campaign for any party while inside

More than half of seats across the 23 local authorities are currently held by the Conservatives, who are bracing for huge losses.

Most of the council seats up for grabs this week were last contested in May 2021, at a time when the then-Conservative government, led by former prime minister Boris Johnson, was enjoying a spike in popularity following the successful roll-out of the first Covid vaccines.

This means the Tories are defending a large number of seats across much of the country. They currently control 19 of the 23 local authorities holding elections on May 1, either as the majority party or a minority administration.

Britons will no doubt be brinigng along some furry friends when they vote in the sunshine today.

Four combined-authority mayors are being elected for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Greater Lincolnshire, Hull and East Yorkshire and the West of England.

The vote is historic in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire as these are new roles.

Labour is the incumbent party defending the other two mayoral roles, for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and the West of England.

Two single-authority mayors are also being elected, in Doncaster and North Tyneside, both of which are currently held by Labour.

You will need the correct form of photo ID to vote. There are only certain kinds of photo identification that will be accepted at polling stations, and those without the correct ID will be turned away.

A passport, driving licence photocard or blue badge are all valid, as is an older person’s bus pass.

If you do not have a valid photo ID, unfortunately, the deadline to apply for an emergency one has passed.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party faces a twin challenge of council and mayoral elections across England and a by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, a seat Labour won convincingly in 2024 but that is expected to go down to the wire in a contest with Reform UK.

n a final message to voters ahead of the polls opening at 7am, Labour chairwoman Ellie Reeves insisted the Government’s plan was “already starting to deliver”.

She said: “As voters head to the polls today, there’s a clear choice between Labour with a plan for change to deliver the security working people deserve and renewal for our country, or more of the same chaos voters rejected last year with the Tories and Reform.”

Labour has sought to cast Thursday’s contest as a test not for Sir Keir but for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner saying the elections were “predominantly… the Tories trying to retain seats that are in the shires”.

Reform leader Nigel Farage told a rally in Staffordshire on Wednesday night that the elections would see his party eclipse the Conservatives as the main opposition party in England.

Predicting a political “earthquake”, he said: “Tomorrow is the day that two-party politics in England dies for good.”

In an interview with Sky News, he said he also expected Reform to win “two or three” of the six mayoralties up for election on Thursday, saying he was “confident” of a win in Hull and “reasonably confident” of victory in Lincolnshire.

He also said he was “optimistic” about the Runcorn and Helsby by-election but stopped short of predicting a win.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has conceded that the scale of the Conservative victory when these councils were last up for election in 2021 means losses are likely.

But in her final message to voters, she said: “If you want a great council, don’t just hope for it, vote for it.

“Vote Conservative because Conservative councils deliver better services for lower taxes across the board.”

Experts have suggested the Tories could lose around 500 seats, with gains for the Liberal Democrats and, especially, Reform.

Polls have opened for the local elections, as Labour faces its first electoral test since taking power last July.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party faces a twin challenge of council and mayoral elections across England and a by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, a seat Labour won convincingly in 2024 but that is expected to go down to the wire in a contest with Reform UK.

Voters will have until 10pm on Thursday to cast their ballots.