Reform UK have won their first parliamentary by-election, taking Runcorn and Helsby from Labour by only six votes. This comes amidst reports of Labour voters feeling betrayed.
Ellie Reeves: “We know we need to do more…”
Naga Munchetty: “When you say you need to do more, one thing that Labour candidates have been hearing from Lab voters on the doorstep is [they] feel betrayed. When you say you need to do more, will there be further betrayals?” pic.twitter.com/mF37ELHAzI
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) May 2, 2025
Across the UK, local elections have taken place to contest 1,600 seats in 23 councils. Additionally, six mayoral positions were up for grabs.
Runcorn and Helsby: the bigger picture
As reported by the BBC, Reform also had their first mayor elected in Greater Lincolnshire. Dame Andrea Jenkyns – Former Tory MP, won 42% of the vote. The Tory candidate got a mere 26% of the vote.
Labour managed to hold onto three mayoral contests, but in North Tyneside it was a close contest. Labour held the majority by only 444 votes.
It was just as tight in Doncaster where Labour were victorious over Reform by only 698 votes.
Labour also won the West of England mayoral contest with a 5,949 majority, with Reform’s Arron Banks coming in second.
Overall, Labour has seen a huge drop in the vote share.
But is there any wonder, when they’re claiming to ‘know the public’ and then systematically destroying the public services which that very same public relies on?
“We know the public” that is where it all goes wrong – these arrogant MP’s create a divide between themselves as being “superior” beings and the people who vote for them.
— Carole Hawkins (@hawkins_carole) May 2, 2025
Whilst not all of the results are in, so far, Labour have already lost 23 seats. Additionally, the Tories have lost 82 seats with Reform making huge gains. So far, they have gained 101 seats.
The Labour right have abandoned Labour values, they sold themselves out, attacked their core base for short term gain, we can’t out reform, reform a lurch to the right is not the answer. https://t.co/BK3UWqRazH
— Owen Hooper (@Owen_Hooper98) May 2, 2025
Scapegoating minoritised people
It’s shocking to think that going hard on scapegoating marginalised communities for social problems caused by capitalism would lose Labour its voter base. You’d think the Tories tanking after their racist, anti-migrant, and punch down on the poorest platform might have served as a cautionary tale. But clearly not. Starmer’s government has been a tribute act to the last fourteen years of Tory austerity.
Local elections results aren’t a surprise. It’s a pushback at Labour parties heinous policies targeting pensioners/disabled and not give one damn about kids in poverty. The excuses are coming thick and fast from Labour MP/supporters. Take a bow, you did this, gave rise to Reform. pic.twitter.com/rwnt16UERp
— Teri ☘️💙♿️ (@mettlesome_teri) May 2, 2025
Cuts to the winter fuel payment and disability benefit cost Labour seats.
And in next year’s local elections, they will face another threat: Greens & Independents in places like Birmingham, Bradford, Hackney, Islington, Lambeth
Kirklees, Oldham,
Bolton, Newham & Tower Hamlets.— Taj Ali (@Taj_Ali1) May 2, 2025
As previously reported by the Canary, voters are fleeing the party:
Top reasons 2024 Labour voters are abandoning the party:
1) Cuts to winter fuel payment
2) Not reduced cost of living
3) Not improved public services
4) Broken too many promises
5) Not stood up to the rich and powerful(YouGov polling) pic.twitter.com/EyTGxFe5WR
— Taj Ali (@Taj_Ali1) May 2, 2025
But it should have been obvious that Labour’s vile racism wasn’t going to outperform Reform’s. It’s appalling that the party has even tried this to win votes. Anti-migrant voters weren’t going to go for the party in power, that they perceive as failing to “stop the boats”, when the Farage fan club says it’s going to go even further on fascist border force.
However, Reform’s rise is only one part of the picture. Labour’s overall nosedive is a product of a public betrayed again and again. Pensioners picking up the pieces after the winter fuel payment cut, and the WASPI women abandoned. Chronically ill and disabled people facing vicious cuts. Public sector workers – like those in the NHS – seeing state-sanctioned mass redundancies. There’s hardly a soul among Labour’s traditional voters that the Labour right hasn’t screwed over at this point – and it’s rightly biting the big business sell-out shell of a party in the ass.
Feature image via
