By GB News (Politics) | Created at 2026-09-21 23:31:39 | Updated at 2026-09-22 02:28:51
3 hours ago
Reform UK has stolen three council seats since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, GB News analysis has revealed.
Mr Burnham became Prime Minister on July 20, and by the week beginning September 14, Reform had stolen three seats from Labour.
In 40 contests during Mr Burnham's first 60 days, over 90,000 votes have been cast in by-elections across the country.
The three areas Reform stole from Labour, despite the so-called “Burnham Bounce,” are Harraby South, Southey, and Eckington South & Renishaw.
Harraby South (Cumberland) was the first seat to fall to Reform just a month into Mr Burnham’s reign, with Josh Kirkwood winning it for Reform UK.
It marks the first seat Reform has won in Cumberland Council, and it was won by a healthy majority.
Reform took 46.2 per cent of the vote whilst Labour only garnered 33.3 per cent, giving Mr Kirkwood a winning majority of 12.9 per cent, with 181 more votes.
When asked about his key issues upon his election, Mr Kirkwood told the BBC: “The roads around Harraby South, there's a lot of disarray.
Reform UK has stolen three seats from Labour since Andy Burnham came into power
GB NEWS
"A lot of people have also had issues with drains and smells coming from urban areas.
"We need to tackle the stuff that's been ignored for several years.
"With this victory, I believe we've got the momentum with us and I'm very, very confident that we will continue that into the local elections and the mayoral election."
The second of the three areas to fall came just a week later with Southey (Sheffield), where Reform took home over half the votes to win the seat.
Reform has accumulated a vote-weighted aggregate share of 23 per cent since the PM took office
GETTY
Paul Jakeman won the seat by almost 300 votes, taking 50.6 per cent of the vote while Labour took 37.3 per cent, with a winning margin of 13.3 per cent, or 297 votes.
The final seat Reform stole from Labour came just over a week ago in the Eckington South & Renishaw (North East Derbyshire) by-election.
Jamie Hodgeson won the seat with a 40.2 per cent majority, versus that of the Labour candidate's 28.1 per cent, winning by over 12 per cent.
All three seats mark a double-digit victory over their Labour counterparts and were new seats that Reform had not stood in before.
In the same time frame, Nigel Farage's party secured 11 seats, more than any rival.
Reform also accumulated a vote-weighted aggregate share of 23 per cent.
Labour took nine seats with a combined share of 22.2 per cent.
The Conservatives placed third on both counts, claiming six seats and 16.7 per cent of the aggregate vote.
The Liberal Democrats matched that tally of six seats but managed only 12.4 per cent across the 40 contests.
