Local elections live: Farage’s Reform set to take hundreds of seats and Runcorn by-election battle intensifies – UK Times

Luke Tryl, executive director at More in Common, has warned that “disillusionment” is a primary driver ahead of the local elections.

“I don’t think I’m exaggerating to say that the groups that we did over the past week are some of the most disillusioned, disappointed, disaffected that we’ve run,” said Mr Tryl.

“There was a real sense that people keep demanding change from politics and they’re not getting that change, and that they are as a result not just thinking things are bad, but starting to lose faith in the inability of the system to change things.”

Among people who are considering voting Reform, Mr Tryl suggested, there is a feeling of “we may as well roll the dice on getting something different”.

There are rising concerns that Reform UK is on the cusp of a major breakthrough in this week’s local elections, following “deep disillusionment” with Labour and the Tories.

Nigel Farage’s party is expected to win a parliamentary by-election and two mayoral contests as well as take hundreds of seats across England on Thursday.

Polling by More in Common showed Labour on 18 per cent, behind Reform on 26 per cent and the Conservatives on 25 per cent, in the areas where elections are taking place.

The poll, which also suggests that Reform voters are the most keen to send a national message in the local elections, was commissioned as part of Channel 4 News live special ‘Election 2025: The Debate’.

Tory, Lib Dem and Labour voters said they thought competence to run the council was the most important issue at stake on Thursday, a reason cited by 47 per cent of those voting Conservative.

But among those intending to cast their ballot for Reform, the most important issue was national policies on immigration, with 67 per cent highlighting it as their main reason for backing the party.

The most popular political leader is “none of the above” a new poll shows just hours before voters go to the polls in the local elections.

Ahead of Thursday’s local elections, polling company More In Common asked voters who they thought would be most effective at governing the country with 41 per cent responding: “None of the above.”

The second most popular choice was Mr Farage with 23 per cent, followed by Keir Starmer on 19 per cent, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch with 8 per cent, the Lib Dem’s Ed Davey on 6 per cent. The Green’s co-leaders, Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, last with 2 per cent.

Overall, the poll showed Labour on 18 per cent, behind Reform on 26 per cent and the Conservatives on 25 per cent, in the areas where elections are taking place.

Kate Devlin and Alicja Hagopian report: