SHOCK WIN: REFORM STORMS BY-ELECTION IN HUGE BOOST FOR FARAGE
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has secured an important local electoral breakthrough in Wales after its candidate Scott Thorley won a closely watched council by-election in Pembrokeshire.
The victory marks a significant milestone for the party, giving Reform UK its first elected councillor on Pembrokeshire County Council and adding another result to its growing presence in local politics.
Thorley won the Milford Hakin ward by-election on March 17, 2026, securing 179 votes and finishing ahead of the Welsh Conservative candidate, Brian Taylor, who received 144.
Although the contest involved only one council seat, the result attracted attention because Reform had previously struggled to establish an elected presence in the area.
For Farage, the victory provides another opportunity to argue that his party is capable of expanding beyond its strongest areas and challenging established political organisations in communities across Britain.
But the result also came with unusual circumstances that make it important to examine the figures carefully.
A breakthrough in Pembrokeshire
The Milford Hakin by-election was called following the death of independent councillor Mike Stoddart.
Eight candidates initially appeared on the ballot, representing Reform UK, the Conservatives, Labour, the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats and independent candidates.
Thorley emerged as the winner with 179 votes, representing approximately 27.1 per cent of the votes cast.
Brian Taylor finished second for the Welsh Conservatives with 144 votes.
Independent candidate Lee James Bridges received 106 votes, while Green Party candidate Sam Booth secured 85.
The Liberal Democrats’ Sam Warden received 57 votes, and independent Duncan Edwards collected 52.
Welsh Labour candidate Nicola Harteveld received 27 votes despite withdrawing from active campaigning before polling day.
Independent candidate Derrick Abbott finished with 11 votes.
A total of 661 ballot papers were issued, producing a turnout of approximately 32.7 per cent.
The figures show that Thorley won a fragmented contest in which no candidate secured an overwhelming share of the vote.
Nevertheless, the victory was an important development for Reform UK.
It meant that the party had secured its first seat on Pembrokeshire County Council, giving it an elected representative in an area where independent councillors have traditionally played a significant role.
An unusual Labour withdrawal
One of the most unusual aspects of the election involved the Welsh Labour candidate.
Nicola Harteveld suspended her campaigning and withdrew from the contest after allegations that a member of her family had been harassed during the campaign.
The circumstances attracted considerable attention locally.
Her withdrawal meant that Labour effectively lost its active campaign in the ward, although her name remained on the ballot paper.
As a result, she still received 27 votes when the count took place.
The incident added an unexpected dimension to the contest and raised questions about the pressures that candidates and their families can face during local election campaigns.
It is important, however, not to assume that the withdrawal alone explains Reform’s victory.
Thorley still had to secure more votes than the other candidates, including the Conservatives and several independent challengers.
His result reflected the choices made by voters who participated in the election.
Who is Scott Thorley?
Thorley was not entirely new to local politics.
He had previously stood as a Reform UK candidate in the Prendergast Haverfordwest ward, although he was unsuccessful on that occasion.
He had also become a town councillor in Haverfordwest through co-option.
His victory in Hakin therefore represented a significant step in his political career.
Following the announcement, Thorley described the result as a massive honour and acknowledged the responsibility of taking over a seat previously held by a well-known independent councillor.
He also spoke about his intention to focus on practical issues affecting local residents.
He said people in Hakin wanted basic services to work properly and wanted someone they could contact when problems arose.
That message is important because local council elections are often influenced by concerns that are very different from the major political arguments taking place in Westminster.
Residents may be more interested in road maintenance, rubbish collection, planning decisions, local facilities and the availability of council services than national party disputes.
Thorley will therefore be judged not only by the party he represents but also by the work he carries out for the people of his ward.
Why the result matters to Nigel Farage
For Farage, every successful local election campaign provides an opportunity to demonstrate that Reform UK can build a political organisation beyond its national leadership.
The party has frequently presented itself as an alternative to the traditional political establishment.
However, winning support in a national opinion poll is not the same as building a reliable network of elected representatives.
Local councillors provide an important connection between political parties and the communities they seek to represent.
They deal with individual complaints, participate in council decisions and develop relationships with residents over time.
A stronger local presence can also help parties identify potential candidates, build campaign organisations and establish a recognisable political identity in areas where they previously had limited influence.
The Pembrokeshire result gives Reform a foothold in a county where the political landscape is notably different from many English councils.
Independent representatives have a substantial presence on Pembrokeshire County Council.
The victory therefore does not mean Reform has suddenly taken control of the authority.
It means that the party has secured one seat and gained an opportunity to develop its presence in local government.
That distinction is important when assessing the wider political significance.
A fragmented political landscape
The final result also demonstrated how divided the contest was.
The winning candidate received 179 votes, while the runner-up secured 144.
The remaining votes were distributed among six other candidates.
The combined vote for independent candidates was also significant.
Lee James Bridges, Duncan Edwards and Derrick Abbott collectively received 169 votes.
This suggests that independent candidates remained an important part of the local political picture.
The Conservatives also demonstrated that they retained a substantial level of support, finishing only 35 votes behind Reform.
Meanwhile, the Green Party and Liberal Democrats attracted smaller but noticeable portions of the vote.
Labour’s result was particularly affected by its candidate’s withdrawal from campaigning, making direct comparisons with a conventional party contest difficult.
The turnout of 32.7 per cent is another important consideration.
Only a proportion of the registered electorate participated, meaning the result should not be interpreted as a direct reflection of the views of every resident in the ward.
Nevertheless, the winner was determined through the democratic process, and Thorley secured the seat.
The challenge ahead for Reform
The next challenge will be turning this victory into lasting political support.
Winning a by-election can create momentum, but maintaining that momentum requires consistent work.
Thorley will have to demonstrate that Reform UK can deliver effective representation at county level.
Residents will expect him to respond to local concerns and participate constructively in council decisions.
They will also expect him to understand the specific needs of Milford Haven and Hakin rather than simply repeat national political messages.
For Farage, the result provides an opportunity to promote the party’s growing local organisation.
However, one council victory cannot establish that Reform is equally popular across Wales or that the party is guaranteed further electoral success.
Different communities have different political priorities, and future results will depend on local candidates, turnout, campaigning and the issues dominating each contest.
The upcoming political contests in Wales will provide further opportunities to assess how far Reform can expand its support.
The party will face established competitors, including Welsh Labour, the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru, as well as independent candidates with strong local connections.
A small seat with wider political significance
The Milford Hakin result may have involved only hundreds of votes, but its significance for Reform UK is clear.
For the first time, the party has an elected representative on Pembrokeshire County Council.
That gives Farage another example to use when arguing that Reform is becoming an established force in British local politics.
At the same time, the figures provide a reminder that the victory took place in a low-turnout contest with several unusual features.
The Conservative candidate remained competitive, independent candidates collectively attracted considerable support, and Labour’s candidate withdrew from active campaigning.
Those details matter when considering what the result actually tells us about public opinion.
For Scott Thorley, the immediate responsibility is now to represent the people of Hakin.
For Nigel Farage, the political opportunity is to build on the breakthrough and demonstrate that Reform can turn individual victories into a sustainable presence across Wales.
The result does not transform the political balance overnight.
But it does give Reform UK something it did not have before: its first county council seat in Pembrokeshire, and a new platform from which to make its case to Welsh voters.