Reform bags FOUR election wins in 24 hours - but which one was the most significant for Nigel Farage and why?

Farage said: "Reform has taken a council seat each from both Labour and the Conservatives so far tonight," with deputy leader Richard Tice adding: "Reform wins four council by-elections, from Labour and Tories, including Bassetlaw & Hartlepool. Britain wants Reform."

David Bull, the party's chairman, added: "Now this is really something! Well done team!"

The party has now turned over 800 council seats turquoise after seizing control of 677 in May, and making gradual gains since then.

Thorston (Hartlepool) Council By-Election

Claiming the seat from Labour, Reform UK won convincingly, winning 48.7 per cent of the vote.

Labour only managed 38.8 per cent of the vote, with the Green Party finishing in third place with 5.1 per cent.

Reform's Ed Doyle will now sit in the Thorston seat, as Reform marked their second council by-election victory in Hartlepool in two months.

Cllr Doyle will join Cllr Amanda Napper, who won a landslide victory for Reform back in May, claiming the first seat on Hartlepool Borough Council for the party since 2021.

Following the victory in May, Cllr Napper said: "When you see the state of Throston ward, it makes you realise how much hard work it needs to pull it into shape, so I'm fully eyes wide open to the amount of work needed. It's just the beginning of work to come.

"I'm just a very normal person, I speak to people how I would like to be spoken to, and that's how I've always dealt with people."

Thorston (Hartlepool) Council By-Election Result:

• Reform UK - 595 votes
• Labour - 475 votes
• Green Party - 62 votes
• Local Conservatives - 59 votes
• Liberal Democrats - 32 votes

Rankshill (Bassetlaw) Council By-Election

In what has been described as "a huge win" by Reform MP Lee Anderson, the party stormed to victory at the Rankshill (Bassetlaw) Council By-Election, taking a whopping 52.7 per cent of the vote.

The safest Conservative ward in Bassetlaw fell into Reform's hands, with the Tories losing 42 per cent of their vote.

Former Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said: "The safest Conservative ward in Bassetlaw - and held by the former group leader - gone. Not the candidate's fault.

"The real story is why the by-election happened in the first place. That hasn't had nearly enough scrutiny."

Cllr Andrew McCallum claimed the seat, thanking his voters for their trust and promising that he "will do everything to live up to their expectations".

Rankshill (Bassetlaw) Council By-Election:

• Reform UK - 323 votes
• Labour - 96 votes
• Conservatives - 89 votes
• Independent - 44 votes
• Liberal Democrats - 40 votes
• Green Party - 21 votes

Northway (Tewkesbury) Council By-Election

Securing a seat from an independent candidate, Graham Bocking won the Northway Ward seat in Tewkesbury.

Winning with 374 votes, Bocking fended off the challenge from Liberal Democrat candidate Guy Fancourt, who claimed 279 votes.

Labour finished last in the by-election, winning only 44 votes, over half of that of the fourth-placed Green Party.

Bocking, the former Conservative and Unionist candidate, said before the election, "I'm an experienced Councillor with a proven record of service.

"I've chaired key committees, served as a flood warden and school governor, and worked hard for our community. I'm standing for Reform UK because the old parties have lost touch. It's time for change - putting people before party politics."

And many think that the result in the leafy English shires might have proved the most significant.

While Reform's other victories left more marks in the Red Wall, the result in Tewkesbury appears to suggest a breakthrough across more traditional Tory areas.

"Not a strong area for Reform," Farage's ex-PR guru Gawain Towler said gleefully.

Northway (Tewkesbury) Council By-Election:

• Reform UK - 374 votes
• Liberal Democrats - 279 votes
• Conservatives - 116 votes
• Green Party - 91 votes
• Labour - 44 votes

Keppel (Rotherham) Council By-Election

For the first time ever, Rotherham Borough Council will have a shade of turquoise to it, as Reform UK won its first council seat.

Cllr Tony Harrison secured 1,160 votes, fending off an independent candidate who finished second and Labour in third.

Labour leader of the council, Cllr Chris Read, blamed the growing national trend for the result.

Cllr Read said: "We're clearly really disappointed by last night's result, not least because in Kieran Bold we had a great candidate, who worked phenomenally hard, and offered a strong, bright platform of improvements to local services.

"What you saw in Rotherham, Bassetlaw, and Hartlepool last night were almost identical results, in similar seats where Labour and the Tories were both badly beaten by Reform."

Keppel (Rotherham) Council By-Election:

• Reform UK - 1,160 votes
• Independent - 860 votes
• Labour - 558 votes
• Conservatives - 105 votes
• Yorkshire Party - 100 votes
• Liberal Democrats - 80 votes
• Green Party - 77 votes

Reform to defend again next week

Reform will hope for better success in defending their council seats next week, after losing two seats at their first defence.

Set to defend the Eccleshall and Gnosall seat in Staffordshire, Ray Barron will be standing for Farage's party, with the Tories, Green Party and Labour putting forward candidates.

Reform initially won the seat narrowly in May, fending off the Tories by only 27 votes.

Upcoming by-elections for July 17:

• Basildon - St Martin's (Labour held)
• Dartford - Maypole and Leyton Cross (Conservative held)
• Dartford - Stone House (Conservative held)
• Denbighshire - Prestatyn Central (Conservative held)
• Harborough - Market Harborough Logan (Liberal Democrats held)
• Liverpool - Sefton Park (Green Party held)
• Neath Port Talbot - Baglan (Labour held)
• Rhondda Cynon Taf - Pontypridd Town (Plaid Cymru held)
• Staffordshire - Eccleshall and Gnosall (Reform UK held)