Story perspectives

Reform UK Leads England Local Elections, Labour Faces Review.

5/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

Reform UK claimed 277 council seats by 7:15 am on 8 May 2026, becoming England’s leading local-election party.
The party won seats in 39 of 136 councils and 24 of 25 seats in Wigan, cutting Labour’s majority there to 41.
Labour’s loss of Tameside, Salford and Greater Manchester councils prompted MPs John McDonnell and Rebecca Long-Bailey to call for a leadership review.
Liberal Democrats took control of Stockport council for the first time since 2011.

History

Historical Context

The 1997 general election saw Tony Blair’s Labour Party capture 418 seats, ending 18 years of Conservative rule and delivering the Conservatives a historic low of 165 seats. That realignment reshaped British party politics, and today Reform UK’s claim of 277 council seats across 39 councils echoes the 1997 upheaval, signalling another potential shift in voter alignments.

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Story summary

Reform UK claimed 277 council seats by 7:15 am on 8 May 2026, becoming England’s leading local-election party.
The party won seats in 39 of 136 councils and 24 of 25 seats in Wigan, cutting Labour’s majority there to 41.
Labour’s loss of Tameside, Salford and Greater Manchester councils prompted MPs John McDonnell and Rebecca Long-Bailey to call for a leadership review.
Liberal Democrats took control of Stockport council for the first time since 2011.

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