Reform UK has seized the Worksop East council seat in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, from Labour, marking another bruising electoral defeat for Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Candidate Nancy Wright took 600 votes to secure victory, while Labour's Cameron Holt finished second with 485 votes, giving Reform a majority of 115.
The result reverses Labour's position in the ward, where the party comfortably won all three seats at the previous district council elections in May 2023. Figures published by Election Maps UK show Labour's share of the vote fell 34.4 percentage points compared with the 2023 election.
Reform's clear victory
The comparison comes with an important caveat. Worksop East was a three-seat ward in 2023, meaning voters could cast up to three votes, whereas Thursday's contest was a single-seat by-election. The figures therefore do not represent a straightforward like-for-like comparison of Labour's support.
Nevertheless, Reform secured 45.9% of the vote, against Labour's 37.1%, giving the party a clear victory. Restore Britain's Anne Froggatt finished third with 7%, while Conservative candidate Ben Storey managed just 6.8%. The Green Party's Anne Kean came fifth with 3.2%.
Background to the by-election
The by-election was triggered by Jo White's resignation from Bassetlaw District Council after she took advice from senior officials about a potential conflict between her responsibilities as a Home Office minister and her council role. She said at the time: "My ministerial responsibilities can, at times, overlap with the work of local government, creating the risk of potential conflicts of interest between the two roles. I believe stepping down is the right decision."
In 2023, Ms White secured 824 votes, while Cliff Entwistle took 805 and Debbie Merryweather 770, with all three elected to represent Worksop East. A total of 1,304 ballot papers were issued in Thursday's by-election, with turnout recorded at 27.82%.
The result will be an unwelcome development for Mr Burnham, who succeeded Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister in July and has been seeking to rebuild Labour's political fortunes. It adds to the pressure on Labour as Reform continues to challenge the party's support in communities across England.
