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In Thursday’s elections, Reform UK made significant advances at the expense of the Conservative Party, yet Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly insisted that the Tories remain the dominant force on the right of British politics. He criticized Reform as being less of a genuine centre-right party and more of a “cult of personality,” asserting, “Nigel [Farage] is not a policy, being angry at stuff is not a policy.” Cleverly emphasized that the Conservative Party stands for clear policies such as reducing taxes, securing borders, supporting the armed forces, and promoting business freedom.
Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, described the party’s achievements as a “seismic earthquake in British politics” during an interview. Reform secured over 1,450 council seats and gained control of 14 councils, taking ground from the Conservatives in areas like Suffolk and Essex, but also making inroads into traditional Labour strongholds including Sunderland and Barnsley. Additionally, Reform came in second in the Welsh Parliament elections and tied with Labour for second place in Scotland.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, spoke on Friday of “historic vote shifts,” remarking that “The old ideas of left and right have literally been blown apart in the last 24 hours.” Despite facing considerable scrutiny and criticism, Tice highlighted the party’s resilience, noting, “But isn’t it interesting that despite all of the scrutiny and the attacks on Nigel, on me, on our candidates, on our councils, voters have said, we want more Reform please.”
Meanwhile, support for the Conservatives in England dropped by 11 points compared to the same local elections in 2022. The party lost more than half of the seats it was defending and struggled most in regions where Reform’s support was strongest. However, they did regain traditional strongholds in London, including Westminster and Wandsworth, which Labour had previously taken. Sir James Cleverly, who was defeated by Kemi Badenoch in the 2024 Tory leadership race, acknowledged the desire for faster progress, but cautioned that “we’re less than two years from a really significant electoral defeat, and nobody is expecting that we turn that around overnight.” Confident about future prospects, he predicted Conservative gains in next year’s elections, asserting, “I am absolutely confident we’ll see the acceleration of support coming to the Conservatives, coming back to us from previous Conservative voters, and coming to us for the first time from voters who are looking at the alternatives.” He also criticized other parties, including Reform, accusing them of adopting inconsistent populist policies and lacking clear stances on issues like welfare cuts and national defence.
Meanwhile, the Green Party of England and Wales experienced substantial progress, gaining control of councils in London, Norwich, and Hastings. Party leader Zack Polanski announced on Friday that “two-party politics was dead and buried,” and stated, “It’s very clear that the new politics is the Green Party versus Reform,” indicating a shift in the traditional political landscape
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