Britain's populist, anti-immigration party Reform UK has defeated Labour by a narrow margin in a by-election, causing a mid-term setback for the government and disrupting the country's traditional two-party dominance.
Reform, led by the United Kingdom's disruptor-in-chief Nigel Farage, secured its fifth Member of Parliament (MP) by winning the industrial northwestern town of Runcorn by just six votes, after a recount.
This marked a significant turnaround for center-left Labour, which had comfortably won the seat in a general election just 10 months earlier.
"It's been a huge night for Reform," Farage told reporters. "This is heartland Labour Party, their vote has collapsed and much of it has come to us."
Thursday's vote was triggered by the resignation of Labour lawmaker Mike Amesbury, who had been convicted of assault earlier in the year.
Reform also secured a mayoral election in Greater Lincolnshire, central England, while Labour retained three other mayoralties.
Prime Minister and Labour leader Keir Starmer acknowledged that the results were "disappointing" for his party, but vowed to push for the change that the people desire.
Further results from Thursday's local elections, held in select regions of England, are anticipated to be announced on Friday.
While it is challenging to extrapolate the sentiment of the nation as a whole from Britain's local elections, the results provide evidence of Reform's growing momentum and popularity. The party is now considered the most popular in the country, less than a year after placing third in a national poll.
Although a general election is not scheduled in Britain until 2029, these results indicate a lukewarm response from voters towards Starmer's government.
Starmer's international diplomacy skills have been recognized, but his domestic agenda has failed to excite the public. His promises to boost economic growth and infrastructure projects have been modest, and he has been cautious in allocating funds to public services.
The prime minister has also struggled to address illegal migration to the UK, a key issue driving Reform's surge in support.
Reform's rise has come at the expense of the Conservative Party, which lost power last year and has faced challenges since. The Tories suffered additional losses on Thursday, even in regions where they have historically been strong.
Labour and the Conservatives have long dominated British politics, but Reform's growing momentum poses a threat to this two-party system if it continues in the coming years.