Labour has regained a council seat in Dudley from Reform UK by a margin of just two votes in a by-election result that has revived debate about whether smaller parties are splitting the right-wing vote.
Labour candidate Caroline Reid secured 874 votes in the St James's ward, narrowly beating Reform's Chris Chivers, who received 872. The result represents a Labour gain from Reform, with the two parties separated by just 0.1 percentage points.
Turnaround from May 2026
The outcome marks a significant turnaround from the previous election in May 2026, when Reform - led by Nigel Farage - comfortably took the ward with 1,630 votes and a majority of 903 over Labour.
This time, Labour's share of the vote rose by 16.2 percentage points to 38%, while Reform's fell by 11 points to 37.9%. The Conservatives finished third, with Sam Firmstone taking 317 votes (13.8%).
Restore Britain's role questioned
Restore Britain's Tristian Owens received 159 votes (6.9%), while Green candidate Katherine Alice Poole secured 79 (3.4%). The result prompted questions on social media about whether the presence of Restore Britain (led by Rupert Lowe) on the ballot paper helped Labour take the seat by splitting support for Reform and the Conservatives.
One commenter said: "Restore are a vote for Labour", while another argued that the party was taking votes away from Reform. Another suggested there had been "shrewd tactical voting on the Left", pointing to the Green Party's reduced vote share.
No evidence of vote transfer
However, there is no evidence establishing how Restore Britain's 159 voters would have voted if the party had not stood. It would therefore be wrong to assume those votes would otherwise have gone to Reform.
The scale of the result is nevertheless striking. Restore Britain's vote was more than 75 times the two-vote margin separating Labour and Reform.
By-election triggered by resignation
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Reform councillor Ivor Robinson, who stood down for personal reasons relating to his health. Mr Robinson had won the ward for Reform in May 2026, when the party overturned Labour's previous control.
Thursday's result means Labour has now regained the seat after only a few months in Reform hands. Turnout was 22.45%, according to Dudley Council.
