The Green Party has won a council seat from Reform UK in a by-election for the Cliftonville ward on Thanet Council, triggered after the incumbent was jailed for 12 months. The Greens achieved a swing of 17 points, with their vote share surging by 26.7 points, beating Reform by just over five per cent.
The Conservatives came third, while Labour's vote share slumped to nearly single digits. The victory comes after the Greens held an 'emergency rally' on Margate seafront, which attracted 'hundreds and hundreds' of supporters.
Green Party co-leader Zack Polanski mocked Labour, noting that Dame Emily Thornberry had claimed 'only Labour can beat Reform here' during the campaign. He said: 'Greens making a habit of taking on Reform - and winning! Robert Jenrick came to visit - as did Emily Thornberry. And their vote share both dropped.'
Winning candidate Rob Yates said the result shows the Greens are now the 'antidote' to Nigel Farage. He added: 'Twelve years ago Nigel Farage was parading down Cliftonville high street, and now we have turned it green.'
A Reform UK spokesman insisted they ran an 'incredible, positive and professional campaign' but blamed the Conservatives for the defeat, arguing that the Tories' decision to stand prevented a hard-left victory. They added: 'The overriding message from this result is, vote Conservative, get Green.'
