Nigel Farage delight as Reform by-election gain is terrible news for top cabinet minister
The party won yet another by-election last night in the constituency of a Cabinet minister.
Nigel Farage said the win was a ‘huge result’ (Image: Getty)
Nigel Farage has championed a fresh Reform UK by-election victory that suggests he is set to topple a top Cabinet member at the general election. Reform swept to victory in a ward in Sunderland, with a seismic swing of 29 points away from the Labour incumbents.
Reform’s candidate won 45.2% of the vote, up by 34.3 points on the last time the ward was fought. Meanwhile Labour crashed into third place with just 22.7%, losing 24 points of support, beaten by an independent candidate who came second with 25.6%. The by-election result is bad news for Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who represents the Hetton ward within her Houghton and Sunderland South constituency.
The defeat is bad news for Bridget Philipson (Image: Getty)
Mr Farage described the win as a “huge result” for the party.
“Bridget Phillipson would lose her seat if this was repeated at the next election.
“No wonder Keir Starmer can’t stop attacking me!”
Reform also won a second council by-election overnight in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, taking Hunstanton ward from the local independents.
Reform won 29.2% of the vote, having previously not stood before, with the LibDems in second on 25.6%.
The Tories lost 23 points, crashing into fourth place.
Of the 170 council by-elections since the 2025 local elections, Reform has won more than any other party.
Mr Farage has secured 59 victories, gaining 51 seats and retaining eight others. The LibDems have gained 18, and the Greens 2.
However the Tories have lost 20 by-elections since the May elections, and Labour has lost twice that amount.
Reform now has impressive showings every Thursday, when council by-elections are held, further proving their national poll lead is a real threat to the main parties.
Mr Farage’s party swept to an astonishing victory in May’s local elections, gaining 677 councillors and 10 councils, many more than experts had predicted.
The party has led in every single national opinion poll since early April, some putting Mr Farage on more than Labour and the Tories combined.
