Reform UK has secured a dramatic victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, marking its most significant breakthrough to date in British electoral politics. The party’s candidate, Sarah Pochin, overturned a 14,696-vote Labour majority to win the seat by just six votes. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Mike Amesbury, who stepped down after being convicted of assaulting a parliamentary staffer. This win gives Reform UK a fifth seat in Parliament and has further cemented its status as a growing force on the political right. Runcorn and Helsby, a newly created constituency following boundary changes, had been considered a safe Labour seat following their performance in the 2019 general election. The shock result has fuelled speculation that Reform may displace the Conservatives as the main right-wing opposition to Labour in several parts of England Financial Times, 1 May 2025. The by-election win came on the same day that Reform UK claimed its first regiona...