This week’s local elections across England, Scotland, and Wales have delivered a seismic shift in the political landscape, shattering decades-long majorities for traditional parties and ushering in new forces.
The results mark a historic moment, with established power bases crumbling and new records set, particularly for Reform and the Green Party.
Labour, in particular, faced significant setbacks in its traditional heartlands. Councils in Gateshead, Sunderland, and Wakefield, which had been under continuous Labour control since their formation in 1973, saw Reform win enough seats to take full control.
Similarly, Sandwell, a Labour stronghold since 1979, saw Reform become the new majority party. Tameside, with an uninterrupted 47-year Labour majority, also shifted, with Reform winning enough seats to deprive Labour of a majority and leave the council without overall control for any single group.
Even in Knowsley, where Labour maintained its majority held since 1973, its share of seats dropped to a historic low of 53 per cent, due to gains by Reform and independents.
The Conservative Party also experienced substantial losses. In Essex, the Tories lost their majority for the first time since 2001, with Reform making sufficient gains to take overall control.
Hampshire witnessed a similar outcome, as the Conservatives lost their majority for the first time since 1997, again to Reform, though no single party secured overall control there.
Wales saw a truly historic realignment. Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party in the Senedd for the first time, while both the Greens and Reform secured their inaugural seats in the devolved parliament.
This election marked the worst performance for both Labour and the Conservatives in Senedd history, bringing an abrupt end to Labour’s more than century-long dominance in Welsh politics, which included being the largest party in every general election since 1922 and holding the most Senedd seats since 1999.
In Scotland, both Labour and the Conservatives recorded their lowest ever number of members elected to the Scottish Parliament, with Labour securing 17 seats (down from a previous low of 22 in 2021) and the Tories 12 (down from 15 in 2011).
Conversely, the Green Party achieved a new record, winning 15 seats, surpassing their previous high of eight in 2021.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) continued its strong performance, winning the most seats for the fifth consecutive election and remaining the largest group in parliament for a 19th year.
London also reflected these shifting dynamics. The Green Party took control of Hackney and Waltham Forest councils for the first time, and secured their first directly elected local mayors in Hackney and Lewisham, unseating long-standing Labour incumbents.
Reform also made inroads, gaining a majority in Havering. Labour lost overall control in Haringey and Newham, councils it had held majorities in since 1971.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats achieved a historic clean sweep in Richmond-upon-Thames, winning all 54 seats, and also secured both new authorities of East Surrey and West Surrey.
