By GB News (Politics) | Created at 2026-09-20 23:19:47 | Updated at 2026-09-22 01:54:49
1 day ago
Reform UK has emerged as the leading force in council by-elections held since Andy Burnham entered Downing Street, topping both the seat tally and the overall vote share across the period, GB News analysis has found.
In 40 contests during Mr Burnham's first 60 days, between July 20 and September 18, Nigel Farage's party secured 11 seats, more than any rival.
Reform also accumulated a vote-weighted aggregate share of 23 per cent.
Despite a so-called "Burnham Bounce", 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.
The Greens won four seats on a notably higher vote share of 14.6 per cent.
Plaid Cymru took two seats, while the SNP and an independent candidate each secured one.
Smaller parties and local groupings failed to win any seats, polling roughly 2.5 per cent between them.
Approximately 91,745 ballots were cast across the full set of by-elections during the period.
Graph showing council by-election seats won since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister
GB NEWS
GB News analysis used a votes-weighted average rather than a simple mean of percentages, calculated by multiplying turnout by the published percentage in each contest and then dividing by total turnout across all 40 by-elections.
The figures rely on published rounded percentages, meaning the share attributed to each party carries an estimated margin of error of roughly 0.3 percentage points.
The data also reflects seats won during the period rather than net gains or losses relative to the previous holders of those council seats.
When accounting for net gain, Mr Farage's party won three seats, tripling Labour's solitary net addition.
The Liberal Democrats matched Reform's tally, also finishing up three seats.
The Conservatives emerged as the period's undisputed losers, suffering a net deficit of five seats.
Graph showing vote share in the council by-election since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister
GB NEWS
The Tories defended only 11 of the 40 by-elections, yet still saw the most councillors losing their seats.
Reform's nine victories drew heavily from Conservative territory, with five Tory seats flipping in Cuxton, Heacham, Snettisham, Hutton & Locking, and East Markham.
The party also seized three from Labour and one from an Independent.
However, the party surrendered six of its own wards, four falling to Labour in Grays Riverside, Grays Town, Penistone East, and Billinge & Seneley Green, while two went to the Lib Dems in Almondbury and St Neots Eynesbury.
The Lib Dems picked up seats without conceding any they held.
Both Labour and the Greens ended with a net gain of one despite considerable churn in both directions.
Graph showing net seat change in council by-election since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister
GB NEWS
The SNP and Independents each dropped a seat, whilst Plaid Cymru held steady.
The results follow the May 2026 local elections, where Reform UK achieved historic gains, securing over 1,450 council seats across England, taking control of 14 local councils, and breaking heavily into both Labour and Conservative heartlands.
Speaking on those results, Mr Farage said the party's results in the Red Wall were "truly astonishing".
Addressing supporters in Chelmsford, he said: "We’ve absolutely walked it, we’re majority control in Sunderland. We’re majority control in Gateshead. We’re majority control in South Tyneside"
He added: "We are directly taking votes from patriotic old Labour in areas that, frankly, they’ve been pretty much able to take for granted since the end of World War I."
GB News has approached Reform UK and the Labour Party for comment.
