Nightmare for Reform UK after it suffers two by-election defeats in one night

The woes are continuing for Reform UK after the party lost two council by-elections in one night, to both Labour and the Lib Dems.

It comes as the right-wing party continues to see a collapse in its poll ratings and as Nigel Farage lurches from one scandal to another.

Since Burnham became party leader, the Labour Party has seen a surge in the polls and in many, has overtaken Reform. Meanwhile, scandal hit Farage, who decided to quit as MP for Clacton only to re-stand in the subsequent by-election due a standards probe into his failure to properly declare financial support he received, has seen his personal approval ratings drop.

On Thursday night, Reform lost two seats in council by-elections.

The first of these defeats was in the Huntingdonshire district council seat of St Neots Eynesbury, where the Lib Dems saw an increase in support to win the seat from Reform which Farage’s party had won in May.

To make matters worse for Reform, Labour won a seat off Farage’s party in the Barnsley council ward of Penistone East.

The by-election had been triggered by a Reform councillor stepping down, and resulted in Labour’s John Roberts being elected to the ward.

Reform’s vulnerabilities are beginning to show.