Keir Starmer’s Labour Party suffered a heavy blow in the UK’s local and devolved elections held on May 7, 2026, with a loss of 1,303 seats. At the same time, voters handed gains to Reform UK with over 1,400 seats across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Zia Yusuf, the home affairs spokesman for Reform UK, said that the party would not take the “votes for granted” and added that it was a “historic set of results for the country,” per the BBC.
Reform UK swept the Conservative Party in Essex and Suffolk, and made big gains in the northern and Midlands heartlands.
Yusuf, after the election was held, said that Reform is "the only truly national party that is competitive across the country” and has made “ a big leap towards” making Reform UK head Nigel Farage the prime minister.
"What Reform has done for the first time in my political lifetime is offer a viable and real alternative to those two old parties," Yusuf said. "We will never take voters for granted."
Last year, Reform won 31 percent of the vote, but the party has had more success this year. When he was asked how the party would deal with more scrutiny in upcoming elections, Yusuf said, "We welcome scrutiny. But I would argue no party has had their record in local government more scrutinised.”
"The reality is this: we have been scrutinised on our local government record and voters have turned out in their millions because they have seen, for example, that Reform has done a better job than any other political party."
Zia Yusuf, the home affairs spokesman for Reform UK, said that the party would not take the “votes for granted” and added that it was a “historic set of results for the country,” per the BBC.
Reform UK swept the Conservative Party in Essex and Suffolk, and made big gains in the northern and Midlands heartlands.
Yusuf, after the election was held, said that Reform is "the only truly national party that is competitive across the country” and has made “ a big leap towards” making Reform UK head Nigel Farage the prime minister.
"What Reform has done for the first time in my political lifetime is offer a viable and real alternative to those two old parties," Yusuf said. "We will never take voters for granted."
Last year, Reform won 31 percent of the vote, but the party has had more success this year. When he was asked how the party would deal with more scrutiny in upcoming elections, Yusuf said, "We welcome scrutiny. But I would argue no party has had their record in local government more scrutinised.”
"The reality is this: we have been scrutinised on our local government record and voters have turned out in their millions because they have seen, for example, that Reform has done a better job than any other political party."
