Nigel Farage has celebrated two Reform UK council by-election wins. The Reform leader took to social media site X after his party won a seat in Bassetlaw from Labour and another in Halton from the Liberal Democrats.

However, Reform narrowly lost in Dudley to Labour by just two votes, with Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain taking 159. Meanwhile, the Conservatives held seats on Newark and Sherwood District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. Mr Farage said: “Strong Reform wins overnight! In Worksop East (Bassetlaw), we went from nothing to 46%, with Labour sinking from 74% to 37%.

Nigel Farage welcomed Reform UK’s victories (Image: Getty)

“We also smashed the Lib Dems in a ward in Halton, Cheshire, which they won in May this year. The Westminster bubble is as out of touch as ever.

“Sadly, we did lose one ward in Dudley. We won 872 votes, Labour won 874 – and Restore took 159.

“The next election will be existential for Britain. I’ll deport everyone who is here illegally. Vote Restore, get Labour.”

But Restore Britain leader Mr Lowe hit back, insisting that his party is “just getting started”. It comes as Reform had a difficult summer amid a series of rows over the party’s finances.

Kemi Badenoch’s Tories have overtaken Reform in some national polls, while Labour is enjoying a bounce under new leader Andy Burnham. There is ongoing speculation of an early general election, but the Prime Minister has insisted he will not go to the country next year.

Nigel Farage Celebrates Two Reform UK Council By-Election Victories

Nigel Farage has celebrated a significant night for Reform UK after the party secured two council by-election victories, taking seats from both Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The results have provided fresh momentum for Reform and highlighted the changing political landscape across Britain, where traditional party loyalties are increasingly being challenged.

The victories came in Worksop East, in Nottinghamshire, and Beechwood & Heath, in Halton, Cheshire. For Farage, the results represent another opportunity to demonstrate that Reform UK can compete successfully against established political parties at a local level.

Taking to social media following the announcements, Farage welcomed the results and described them as strong victories for his party.

In Worksop East, Reform candidate Nancy Wright secured 600 votes, defeating Labour by 115 votes. Reform received almost 46 per cent of the vote, while Labour’s share fell to just over 37 per cent.

The result was particularly notable because Reform had not fielded a candidate in the previous election. The party therefore moved from having no representation in the contest to winning the seat outright.

The victory also represented a setback for Labour, which had previously enjoyed considerably stronger support in the ward.

Farage used the result to argue that voters were increasingly looking beyond the traditional political parties.

He suggested that Labour could no longer assume that former supporters would automatically remain loyal, particularly in communities where economic dissatisfaction and concerns about public services have become important political issues.

The second victory came in Beechwood & Heath, in Halton, where Reform candidate Neil Eric Thornton defeated the Liberal Democrats.

Reform secured 35.3 per cent of the vote, finishing nine percentage points ahead of the Liberal Democrats.

The result was especially significant because the Liberal Democrats had won the ward only a few months earlier, in May.

The latest contest therefore demonstrated how quickly local political support can change.

For Reform, winning seats from two different parties in a single night provided an opportunity to strengthen its claim that it is becoming a serious challenger across different parts of England.

However, the election results were not entirely positive for Farage.

Reform also suffered a particularly narrow defeat in Dudley, where Labour won by just two votes.

Reform received 872 votes, compared with Labour’s 874.

Restore Britain, led by Rupert Lowe, received 159 votes, adding another interesting dimension to the contest.

The extremely narrow result demonstrated how competitive local elections have become and how even a small number of votes can determine the outcome.

Farage acknowledged the defeat but concentrated much of his attention on the two victories.

He also used the opportunity to criticise what he described as the Westminster political establishment, arguing that established politicians were increasingly disconnected from the concerns of ordinary voters.

The results arrive at an important moment for British politics.

Labour is facing pressure over the cost of living, taxation, immigration and the performance of public services.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are attempting to rebuild their political position after losing substantial support in previous elections.

Reform UK has sought to capitalise on this dissatisfaction by presenting itself as an alternative to both established parties.

Immigration remains one of the central issues in the party’s political message.

Farage has repeatedly promised a tougher approach to illegal immigration, alongside wider changes to government spending, taxation and public administration.

His supporters argue that the party is giving a voice to people who believe their concerns have been ignored by successive governments.

Critics, however, question whether Reform’s proposals would provide practical solutions to Britain’s economic and social challenges.

The two council victories do not automatically demonstrate that the party has secured widespread national support, but they provide useful evidence of its ability to compete in individual communities.

Local elections are influenced by several factors, including candidate popularity, turnout, local issues and dissatisfaction with national government policy.

Nevertheless, repeated victories against different political opponents could create further pressure on Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

For Labour, the loss of Worksop East will raise questions about its ability to maintain support in communities where it previously performed strongly.

For the Liberal Democrats, losing Beechwood & Heath so soon after winning it will be an unwelcome reminder that local political support can change quickly.

Farage will now face the challenge of turning these victories into sustained political progress.

Winning council seats is only the beginning. Reform councillors will need to demonstrate that they can represent residents effectively, manage local responsibilities and deliver improvements to their communities.

Voters will expect more than campaign promises.

They will want to see improvements in local services, housing, transport, community safety and council finances.

The party must also demonstrate that it can maintain discipline and work effectively within local authorities.

Ultimately, Nigel Farage’s celebration of the two by-election victories reflects another important development in Britain’s changing political landscape.

Reform UK has demonstrated that it can win seats from both Labour and the Liberal Democrats, while its narrow defeat in Dudley shows how competitive these contests remain.

For the established parties, the message is clear: local support cannot be taken for granted.

As the next major elections approach, Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats will all face the challenge of convincing voters that they still deserve their support.

For Farage, the immediate task will be to build on these results and prove that Reform UK can translate local victories into a lasting political presence across Britain.