The local elections in England have redrawn the political map, demonstrating that the country may be more divided than ever as voters increasingly abandon the traditional two-party system. Labour has lost more than a thousand councillors and control of dozens of councils, with some results still being declared. Sir Keir Starmer's party has lost control of at least 35 councils, with 1,442 party councillors losing their seats, including in historically safe strongholds such as the 'red wall,' where Nigel Farage's Reform UK made seismic gains.
Labour's Grip on London Weakened
The party's hold on London has also been severely weakened, with Labour losing control of nearly half of the 21 boroughs they previously held in the capital, following a strong showing from Zack Polanski's Green Party. The Greens defeated Labour mayors in Hackney and Lewisham and took control of Waltham Forest council. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party also suffered significant losses, losing Essex County Council and Suffolk to Reform.
These outcomes provide further evidence of a country moving away from a traditional two-party system, with strong support emerging for other parties, at least at the local level. Here are some of the towns and cities that highlight this trend:
Sunderland - Labour to Reform
The north-east port city of Sunderland has had a Labour council since its formation as a metropolitan borough in 1974, but that has now changed. Going into this election, Labour held 49 seats but was reduced to just five as Reform stormed to victory with 58 councillors. The Liberal Democrats won 12, reducing Labour to third place in one of its heartland councils. The council, which contains education secretary Bridget Phillipson's Westminster seat, was mentioned as a significant win by Mr Farage on Friday evening. He said: 'The same is happening across the board, we are on the verge of winning Wakefield outright, we've just had Sunderland declared for us.'
St Helens - Labour to Reform
Another Labour heartland, St Helens has become the first part of Merseyside's red stronghold to fall for Mr Farage's Reform. It took the council by gaining 31 seats as Labour lost 25. Labour had controlled the local authority since 2010 and the town's two MPs had always been Labour. But the party has been left with just two representatives on the borough council. Nigel Farage took a victory lap in the Merseyside town, formerly an industrial powerhouse of glass manufacturing and coal mining, where he declared: 'We have absolutely torn the most massive historic chunk out of the Labour vote in the north of England.'
Essex - Conservative to Reform
Mr Farage said Reform UK 'haven't just crushed the 'red wall,' we've crushed the blue wall as well' after winning control of Essex County Council. The Conservatives lost their majority in Essex for the first time since 2001, as Reform gained 53 seats and the Tories lost 41 to be left with 13. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch's seat is North West Essex, but she said she was 'very proud' of her party's election results, despite losing hundreds of council seats in England.
Hackney - Labour to Green
The Green Party delivered a double blow to Labour in Hackney, where it won the elected mayoral election and took control of the council from Sir Keir's party. The borough had been under Labour control since 2002, but some 42 Green councillors were elected, and Labour lost 34 seats to hold on to just nine. After she unseated Labour's mayor, the Greens' Zoe Garbett told The Independent that 'people feel let down with the old establishment parties,' in what was the Green Party's first victory in a mayoral election. 'I am really excited to show what we can do here as a Green Council in Hackney and what that means for London and for the country,' she said. Asked how confident she was that the Green Party's momentum would continue, she said: 'It absolutely will. You know, every time we've had Greens elected in Hackney, people have seen what we can deliver, and this is just a part of that growing and continuing story.'
Bradford - Labour to No Party in Control
Labour lost control of Bradford council to continue the bad news for the party in Yorkshire. Reform UK cannot take control but was expected to be the largest party after taking 29 of the first 75 seats to be declared, with Conservatives on 18 and Labour on 15. The party ended more than 50 years of Labour rule in Barnsley and also took Calderdale and Wakefield from Labour, which also lost control of Leeds.
Bexley - Labour to Conservative
The Conservatives did enjoy some success in the capital. They regained Westminster City Council from Labour and became the largest party in Wandsworth. They also held on to their majority in Bexley, Bromley, Hillingdon, and in Kensington and Chelsea. In Bexley, it won 29 seats, but Reform enjoyed a decent showing, gaining seven councillors.
