This week saw three principal council by‑elections in England, each offering a glimpse into the shifting local political landscape. The most notable was in Pendle, where the Liberal Democrats faced the challenge of defending this council seat against the rising threat of Reform, whose presence on the ballot paper added uncertainty surrounding the contest.
Beginning in the town of Barlick, we were able to successfully defend this seat with a clear and decisive victory. Polling day happened to fall on Lancashire Day, even though the town itself has sat on the wrong side of the county line for the past fifty years. The Liberal Democrats strengthened our position, while both Labour and the Conservatives saw their vote collapse. Meanwhile, Reform UK made its first appearance here with a sizeable vote share but ultimately fell well short of mounting a serious challenge.
Congratulations are due to Councillor Bryony Hartley and the local team for ensuring this remained a Liberal Democrat seat.
Pendle Borough Council, Barnoldswick
Liberal Democrats (Bryony Hartley): 1,008 (59.8%, +1.5)
Reform UK: 441 (26.2%, new)
Conservative: 170 (10.1%, -11.7)
Labour: 66 (3.9%, -11.1)
Liberal Democrats HOLD
Turnout: 25.8%
On Wearside, Labour were unable to defend this seat, with Reform UK making a gain at their expense. An independent candidate held a strong second place, while Labour’s vote collapsed and the Conservatives were reduced to a footnote. The Liberal Democrats, represented by Mia Coupland, increased our share and ensured the party’s flag was flown proudly on the day. With Durham nearby, this result demonstrates how quickly the political landscape in the North East has shifted away from Labour.
Sunderland City Council, Hetton
Reform UK: 1,270 (46.3%, +35.4)
Independent: 689 (25.1%, -4.0)
Labour: 611 (22.3%, -24.4)
Liberal Democrats (Mia Coupland): 113 (4.1%, +1.6)
Conservative: 61 (2.2%, -3.6)
Reform UK GAIN from Labour
Turnout: 29.3%
In Norfolk, Reform UK gained the seat from an independent with less than a third of the vote. Tammy Edmunds and the Liberal Democrats made a strong debut, finishing close behind and showing real momentum. The Independent vote splintered, turning what had been a base of strength into scattered fragments. The Conservatives collapsed into fourth place. Labour all but vanished, disappearing into last place. Reform scraped a hollow gain built on a threadbare share, and commiserations go to Tammy Edmunds and the local team for their campaign.
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, Hunstanton
Reform UK: 368 (29.2%, new)
Liberal Democrats (Tammy Edmunds): 322 (25.6%, new)
Independent (Johnson): 229 (18.2%, -11.0)
Conservative: 224 (17.8%, -23.0)
Independent (Nice): 77 (6.1%, new)
Labour: 40 (3.2%, -21.0)
Reform UK GAIN from Independent
Turnout: 32.96%
Thank you to all of our candidates, agents, and campaign teams. A full summary of these results, and all other principal council by-elections, can be found on the ALDC by-elections page here.
* Liam Yip is the Campaigns and Communications Intern at ALDC
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For those interested in more than one week’s results here is the summary for the last fifty local by-elections up to the end of November.
Percentage Vote Share:
Reform UK 25.83%, Liberal Democrats 24.83%, Conservatives 17.25%, Labour 11.32%, Greens 10.81%, Others 9.95%
Labour’s share of the vote is their lowest since local government reorganisation in 1973. The Conservative share of the vote is only just above their lowest point of 17.21% achieved last June. This means that the vote share of the two “main” parties is below 30% for the first time.
Gains and losses are:
Reform: Net gain of thirteen: 14 gains, 1 held, 1 lost
Lib Dems: Net gain of nine: 11 gains, 9 held, 2 lost
Others: No change: 1 gain, 2 held, 1 lost
Greens: Net loss of one: 2 gains, 1 held, 3 lost
Independents: Net loss of three: 3 gains, 0 held, 6 lost
Conservatives: Net loss of eight: 2 gains, 2 held, 10 lost
Labour: Net loss of ten: 0 gains, 2 held, 10 lost
Seats Won:
Liberal Democrats 20, Reform 15, Conservatives 4, Greens 3, Independents 3, Labour 2, Others 3
The above data is for the most recent 50 by-elections in England & Wales (9th October to to 27th November 2025). Parish/Town councils are not included.
Good to see Tony Greaves’ legacy living on in Pendle.
Info on 2 Parish Councils. LIB DEM gains from Labour, Penrith and Greens, Godalming
Cue P Barker to reiterate the steady fall in Reform’s support. Labour are in serious trouble in those post industrial towns. Already struggling communities – now having to deal with a disproportionate number of asylum seekers makes for a toxic mix….
Thanks to Kevin Hawkins for the stats. The figures for Reform are interesting because they are significantly below their Polling averages for the same period, that contrasts with last May when the reverse was true, perhaps their Voters are losing enthusiasm ?
The Reform Polling continues to decline, I would say at about 1% every 3 Weeks or 1.5% every Month.
That’s an interestingly poor on-the-face-of-it Reform performance in Pendle – The relevant division split LD/Reform in the May County elections.
An interesting Reform defence yesterday, they held the seat but with a sharply reduced vote share. Reform support is falling now but it’s still higher than it was in May, their vote should have gone up, evidence that their voters are losing enthusiasm ?
Our vote went down & the Greens went up, both of those in line with The Polls.