Six principal authority by-elections took place across England on Thursday 12th November.

Labour were defending three seats (Croft Baker in North East Lincolnshire, Cheddleton in Staffordshire Moorlands, and Huncoat in Hyndburn), Independents defended two seats (Hindley Green in Wigan and Failsworth West in Oldham), and Reform UK defended one seat (Bosmere in Suffolk).

On paper, it looked like a productive night for Reform UK with three gains against one loss to the Conservatives. Beneath the headlines, however, Reform’s vote share fell in five of the six contests—including four double-digit drops. Labour continued its northern recovery, gaining a seat in Wigan, holding the right off in Hyndburn, and surging by more than 21 points in Oldham and 16 points in North East Lincolnshire. Meanwhile, the Conservatives edged out the Greens in Suffolk—leapfrogging them to unseat Reform UK—pointing to growing rural reluctance to back Zack Polanski’s Greens. For the Liberal Democrats, it was an undeniably tough night in wards where we started from a low base and were squeezed out by polarised two-party contests.

Suffolk CC, Bosmere – 12 November 2026

In Suffolk, the Conservatives gained the Bosmere division on Suffolk County Council from Reform UK by just 23 votes.

In May 2026, the Conservatives lost this seat to Reform UK after their vote share fell by 30 percentage points, dropping them into third place just four points behind the Green Party. The Greens have built a strong foundation in Suffolk—winning the Waveney Valley parliamentary constituency from the Conservatives in 2024, taking outright control of Mid Suffolk District Council from the Conservatives in 2023, and becoming the main opposition group to Reform UK on Suffolk County Council in May 2026.

Given Reform UK’s poor by-election retention record, the Greens would have hoped to unseat them here. Instead, the Conservatives surged by +13.8% to reclaim the division while Reform’s vote dropped by 16 points, suggesting that national controversies and the Greens’ pivot leftwards are costing them rural support. Disappointingly, the Liberal Democrats were squeezed down from double digits to 4.7% (-8.3%) in the tight Conservative-Green battle, mirroring a similar squeeze in East Hertfordshire last month.

Thank you to Attila Borzak for standing and ensuring a Liberal Democrat option on the ballot paper.

Conservative: 762 (33.2%, 13.8%)
Green Party: 739 (32.2%, +2.8%)
Reform UK: 400 (17.4%, -16%)
Restore: 182 (7.9%, new)
Lib Dem (Attila Borzak): 109 (4.7%, -8.3%)
Labour: 106 (4.6%, -0.1%)

Turnout: 27.8%

Conservative GAIN from Reform UK

Wigan MBC, Hindley Green – 12 November 2026

In Greater Manchester, Labour gained the Hindley Green ward on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council from an Independent in a borough that includes Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Makerfield parliamentary constituency.

Wigan elects by thirds. In May 2026, Reform UK won 24 of the 25 seats up for election as voters across the borough turned sharply away from Labour. In Hindley Green that May, Reform gained a seat from Labour after surging by 37 percentage points while Labour fell by 17 points. The seat contested in Thursday’s by-election was last fought in the 2023 all-out elections, when an Independent topped the poll alongside two Labour councillors in second and third.

Although technically a gain from an Independent, Labour’s +16.8% surge and Reform’s -15.8% drop effectively reverse May’s result and underline Labour’s ongoing northern recovery. In historically difficult territory for our party, David Burley polled 9 votes.

Thank you to David Burley for representing the Liberal Democrats in Hindley Green.

Labour: 1201 (49.5%, +16.8%)
Reform UK: 887 (36.6%, -15.8%)
Independent: 124 (5.1%, new)
Restore: 107 (4.4%, new)
Conservative: 56 (2.3%, -2.5%)
Green Party: 42 (1.7%, -5.5%)
Lib Dem (David Burley): 9 (0.4%, -2.6%)

Turnout: 26.1%

Labour GAIN from Independent

Oldham MBC, Failsworth West – 12 November 2026

Across Greater Manchester in Oldham, Reform UK gained the Failsworth West ward from an Independent – though the underlying numbers tell a story of dramatic Labour recovery.

Oldham saw a major Labour collapse in May 2026, with Reform UK winning 13 of the 20 seats up for election while Labour lost eight seats and the Liberal Democrats dropped from nine to six. In Failsworth West in May, Reform won a seat from Labour from a standing start on 56%, cutting Labour’s vote share in half (-16 points). Prior to that, an Independent had topped the poll ahead of two Labour councillors in the 2023 all-out elections, and another Independent beat Labour in 2024 – leaving Labour without any representation in the ward by May 2026.

While Reform UK took Thursday’s by-election, their vote share fell by 14.4 percentage points while Labour surged by +21.4% to finish just 42 votes behind, putting them firmly back in contention. The Liberal Democrats were squeezed into sixth place in a ward where we have finished at the bottom of the poll in every election this decade.

Thank you to Lynne Thompson for ensuring local voters had a Liberal Democrat choice on the ballot paper.

Reform UK: 642 (41.5%, -14.4%)
Labour: 600 (38.8%, +21.4)
Restore: 175 (11.3%, new)
Green Party: 60 (3.9%, -11.2%)
Conservative: 51 (3.3%, 0.7%)
Lib Dem (Lynne Thompson): 19 (1.2%, -1.6%)

Turnout: 19.7%

Reform UK Gain from Independent

North East Lincolnshire UA, Croft Baker – 12 November 2026

In Cleethorpes, Reform UK gained the Croft Baker ward on North East Lincolnshire Council from Labour, though Labour significantly narrowed the gap compared to May.

In May 2026, Reform UK swept 14 of the 15 seats up for election – with the Liberal Democrats winning the other – leaving the council finely balanced in No Overall Control with Reform running a minority administration on 14 seats, Labour on 11, and the Conservatives on 10. Croft Baker is a three-member ward with a turbulent recent history: in 2021, the Conservatives gained a seat from Labour; in 2022, the Conservatives held another seat (with that councillor later defecting to Reform UK); in 2023 and 2024, Labour gained two seats from the Conservatives; and in May 2026, the former-Conservative Reform councillor held his seat.

Thursday’s by-election was for the seat Labour won in 2024. Although Reform UK captured the ward, their vote share dropped by 9.5 points while Labour rebounded by +16.4% – demonstrating that Labour is already starting to turn the tide back against Reform since May. No Liberal Democrat candidate stood.

Reform UK: 797 (41.9%, -9.5%)
Labour: 690 (36.3%, +16.4%)
Restore: 150 (7.9%, new)
Conservative: 139 (7.3%, -0.9%)
Green Party: 91 (4.8%, -9%)
Independent: 35 (1.8%, -1.1%)

Turnout: 22.8%

Reform UK GAIN from Labour

Staffordshire Moorlands DC, Cheddleton – 12 November 2026

In Staffordshire, Reform UK secured their most clear-cut victory of the night, gaining the Cheddleton ward on Staffordshire Moorlands District Council from Labour from a standing start.

Cheddleton is a three-member ward where, in the 2023 all-out elections, Labour finished second sandwiched between two Conservative councillors in first and third. Across Staffordshire Moorlands in 2023, Reform UK fielded just a single candidate as Labour ended a slim Conservative majority to become the largest party in a high-watermark year for Labour.

Winning 37.8% from a standing start, Reform UK’s victory fits a familiar pattern: they perform strongly when attacking seats for the first time without an incumbent record to defend, but struggle heavily to hold onto seats they already control. That retention challenge will make the 2027 district elections a critical test. No Liberal Democrat candidate stood.

Reform UK: 471 (37.8%, new)
Conservative: 327 (26.3%, -5.6%)
Labour: 213 (17.1%, -10.5%)
Independent: 156 (12.5%, new)
Restore: 55 (4.4%, new)
Green Party: 23 (1.8%, -11.1%)

Turnout: 29.2%

Reform UK GAIN from Labour

Hyndburn DC, Huncoat – 12 November 2026

In Lancashire, Labour held the Huncoat ward on Hyndburn Borough Council in an interesting contest where Labour stood alone against three right-wing parties.

Huncoat is a two-member ward elected two out of every fours years. In 2022, the Conservatives gained a seat here from Labour in a straight two-way contest, before Labour gained the second seat from an Independent in 2023 with over 70% of the vote. In May 2026, Reform UK’s group leader won the Conservative seat as the Tory vote collapsed by nearly 50 percentage points to finish rock bottom behind a first-time Green candidate—leaving Hyndburn under No Overall Control with a Labour minority administration.

Reform UK had hoped to take the remaining Labour seat on Thursday. Even though the three right-wing parties amassed nearly two-thirds of the vote between them, Labour lifted its share by +10.5% to hold on—despite its winning candidate currently being suspended from the party over controversial social media posts. Restore recorded its highest vote share yet at 27.8%, heavily splitting the right-wing vote with Reform UK (-19.4%) and sparking further infighting on the right over costing Reform the seat. No Liberal Democrat candidate stood.

Labour: 318 (34.4%, +10.5%)
Reform UK: 275 (29.8%, -19.4%)
Restore: 257 (27.8%, new)
Conservative: 74 (8%, -2.4%)

Turnout: 26%

Labour HOLD

A full summary of these results, and all other principal council by-elections, can be found on the ALDC by-elections page here: https://www.aldc.org/category/by-election-results/

* Joe Nutt is a Campaigns and Communications Officer for ALDC