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Reform UK has experienced significant success in recent elections across England, Scotland, and Wales, prompting the party’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, to emphasize that the party will “never take voters for granted.” Yusuf described the election outcomes as “historic” for the country and highlighted Reform UK’s openness to scrutiny regarding its record and performance.
So far, the party has gained over 1,400 councillors in England, achieving notable victories by overtaking Conservative strongholds in Essex and Suffolk and surpassing Labour in parts of the North and Midlands. In Wales, Reform UK secured second place behind Plaid Cymru in the parliamentary elections, while in Scotland the party tied for second position with Labour. Yusuf stressed to BBC Breakfast that Reform UK is “the only truly national party that is competitive across the country” and remarked that the party has made “a big leap towards” making their leader, Nigel Farage, prime minister. He also stated, “What Reform has done for the first time in my political lifetime is offer a viable and real alternative to those two old parties.”
Reflecting on the scrutiny the party has faced following its achievements, Yusuf noted that Reform UK had already come under intense examination after last year’s local elections, which saw the party gain control of 10 councils in England. The party secured 31% of the vote in those elections and has maintained its lead in national opinion polls. Yusuf welcomed further scrutiny, asserting, “no party has had their record in local government more scrutinised,” and that voters have shown their support because Reform UK has demonstrated superior governance compared to other political groups. He acknowledged that while the party does not claim to have solutions to every issue, it remains clear about its priorities, focusing on “secure borders,” tackling the cost of living, and restoring “law and order.”
In terms of specific gains, Reform UK’s most substantial advances were made in England, where the party captured councils from Labour in Barnsley, Wakefield, Sunderland, and Gateshead, and it shifted control to no overall majority in Hartlepool, Tameside, Redditch, and Tamworth. The party notably seized Essex County Council, an area represented by Conservative shadow cabinet members and led locally by Conservative Kemi Badenoch. Peter Harris, a Reform UK county councillor in Essex, described the responsibility as “enormous” and pledged dedication to delivering voters’ priorities, pursuing both short-term improvements and long-term council efficiency. In Scotland, Reform UK increased its representation dramatically, tying with Labour as the second-largest party with 17 Members of the Scottish Parliament. In Wales, the party claimed 34 seats, finishing second behind Plaid Cymru in the expanded Welsh Parliament. Polling expert Sir John Curtice observed that Reform UK’s support was strongest in regions that had voted heavily in favor of Brexit during the 2016 referendum. According to the BBC’s projected national vote share for Great Britain, Reform UK would currently have 26%, ahead of the Greens, Conservatives, Labour, and Liberal Democrats. However, this represents a slight decline from the 30% share observed in last year’s local elections
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