Bullish Tories vow 'fight on right is not over' and gloat over 'slow puncture of Reform'

Mr Farage, who admitted he was left "disappointed" by the result, is now being warned Reform UK's support is falling from its peak.

A Conservative Party veteran told GB News: "We are watching the slow puncture of the Reform balloon.

"They had a 10-point lead over Labour in the polls and won every seat in Makerfield at the locals, but, as they have at the last three by-elections, Reform have lost yet again.

"Farage is ducking press conferences to avoid answering questions about his £5million crypto bung. Yusuf is too chicken to stand as a candidate."

The insider also suggested Mr Farage should consider his own future as Reform UK leader after suffering defeat in Makerfield.

"It’s now surely only a matter of time before tired Nigel picks up his ball and goes home, leaving a bunch of hopeless nobodies to squabble over the remains of a turquoise travesty," they added.

Nigel Farage out in Makerfield ahead of polls closing

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However, Mr Farage appeared more focused on the rise of Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain after results trickled in overnight.

Issuing a direct message to Restore Britain's 3,111 voters in Makerfield, the Reform UK leader said: "There are a couple of thousand voters there who would normally have gone out and voted Reform who voted Restore, and I would say directly to them, what do you want?

"We are the challenger party to the left in this country, and I would urge you to think again, I really, really would."

But a second by-election held yesterday also appeared to suggest Mr Farage has also failed to consign the Tory Party to irrelevancy.

Mrs Badenoch's Tories managed to pull off a seismic victory in Aberdeen South, marking the Conservative Party's first by-election gain north of the border since 1967.

Kemi Badenoch celebrated victory in Aberdeen South

PA

Tory support more than doubled in the Granite City, with Douglas Lumsden securing 49.5 per cent of the vote.

Speaking to GB News, Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie said: "In constituencies across the length and breadth of this country, we are demonstrating that only we can take on and beat the SNP in Scotland and the Labour Party across the United Kingdom."

However, Tory campaigners have also pointed out that the Conservatives snatched local council wards from Reform UK in the key battleground county of Essex.

A Tory MP told GB News: "It’s too early to say a full-blown revival in conservatism is coming, but what is clear is that Kemi’s clarity on the new direction of the Conservative Party is really cutting through.

"That stands in sharp contrast to Labour, Reform, the Greens, and all other parties with left-wing economic positions on nationalisation, higher welfare, and tax.

"The more voters see of Kemi and hear Conservative policies, the more they like them."

Rupert Lowe appeared to attract Nigel Farage's attention in Makerfield

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Another Conservative MP said: "Kemi’s straight-talking, no-nonsense leadership is re-establishing authentic Conservatism and setting us on a path to re-earning trust. We need to stick to this path."

However, a senior Reform source dismissed Tory jubilation after results came in this morning.

"We will see them next May at the ballot box," a figure close to Mr Farage told GB News.

"We will see who has peaked. But is this the same Tory Party who lost their deposit in Makerfield last night?"

Meanwhile, Mr Farage argued any suggestion of a Tory revival is confined to small corners of the country.

"I think what we will see now is the Conservatives have pockets of strength around the country," the Reform UK leader said.

"But in the North of England, Midlands, South Wales, and many other areas, the Conservative vote now averages in by-election after by-election around about two per cent. So, Reform is still the big national party on the centre-right."

However, a polling guru suggested the Makerfield result should worry Reform UK and Mr Farage.

Merlin Strategy founder Scarlett Maguire told GB News: "Last night was a huge success for Andy Burnham.

"The 20-point margin over Reform shows the extent of his personal popularity, however it should also worry Reform.

"This would be in their top target seats for the next general election and they were only able to put on two per cent on their 2024 performance in the constituency.

"Aberdeen South is a welcome win for the Conservatives, who will use this to make the case that the fight for the right is not over yet."

Despite claiming victory in the 2026 Local Elections, Reform UK has now lost three consecutive by-elections, with defeat in Caerphilly and Gorton & Denton appearing to dent Mr Farage's momentum.