The Tories’ held Staffordshire County Council since 2009
Reform UK has taken control of its first-ever council, winning a majority on Staffordshire County Council with 39 seats so far.
There are still more results to be declared but Reform has won more than the 32 seats needed to control the council.
This is a shock result, as the Conservatives previously held 53 of the 62 seats on the council, and Reform had no councillors.
Update: Reform has also taken control of Durham County Council, from no overall control. Reform now hold 53 of the 98 seats on the council.
There are 19 seats still to declare, but Labour has lost 28 seats while the Conservatives are down 15 and Independents down 11. Brexiteer and former GB News presenter Darren Grimes has been elected a councillor.
While at GB News, Grimes was accused of sexually harassing a junior male colleague, who he allegedly called dozens of times in a day and also made unwanted invitations to him to join him in a hotel room.
In a boost to Andrea Jenkyns, Lincolnshire’s newly-elected mayor, Farage’s party has won a majority on Lincolnshire County Council. The Tories won a 54-seat council majority in 2021.
So far, Reform has claimed the 36 seats needed for a majority, with the Liberal Democrats in second place with five seats.
Reform has won Derbyshire County Council, which was previously Conservative-controlled. At the 2024 general election, Derbyshire went completely red on election night after Labour gained nine seats off the Conservatives.
Reform is tipped to win Kent County Council too.
More to follow
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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