Labour fights to defend three seats from Reform UK in key by-election battles across Britain

All the major parties will be looking to secure wins, especially with the May by-elections looming - now confirmed to be going ahead after a government U-turn on some 30 councils cancelling elections for more than four million voters.

National polls are looking favourable to Reform UK, with several polls placing Nigel Farage's party ahead of Labour and the Tories, whilst a flank from the Greens puts pressure on the two frontrunner parties.

Van (Caerphilly)

Sir Keir Starmer's Labour is attempting to defend its seat in Van within Caerphilly Council.

The by-election was called after the death of Labour councillor Christine Forehead, aged 81, who sat on the council since its inception in 1995.

Jamie Pritchard, leader of the council, paid tribute to Christine’s legacy, saying: "The community of Caerphilly, and the wider county borough, has lost a dedicated and long-standing councillor who has always worked tirelessly to improve the lives of everyone in the local community.

“She was a dedicated public servant and a much-loved local character who will be sorely missed by all who knew her."

Van ward is currently majority run by Labour, with fierce competition from the Welsh party Plaid Cymru.

On a parliamentary level, the ward sits within the Caerphilly constituency, re-established as part of the 2024 boundary changes and currently represented by Labour MP Chris Evans.

He won the seat in the July 2024 general election having held the seat since 2010, where he held on to his seat with a whopping 6,419 majority.

Having been a Labour stronghold for years, polls in the region suggest Reform UK could take the seat, projected to swing 68 per cent of the electorate.

THE FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES STANDING IN VAN:

• Matthew Richard Ferris - Labour
• Jeff Grenfell - Plaid Cymru
• Russell James Larke - Reform UK
• Tony Potts - Lib Dems

Stoneygate (Leicester)

Next, we’re in Leicester, with a by-election happening in the Stoneygate ward within Leicester Council.

This by-election was called following the death of Labour councillor Manjula Sood, aged 80, who formerly served as lord mayor of Leicester.

She became the UK's first female Asian lord mayor.

Shivani Raja, Conservative MP for Leicester East, described Ms Sood as "a genuine community leader".

"We represented different parties, but we shared a deep commitment to serving the people of Leicester."

The city council is currently run by Labour, which holds 31 of the 54 available seats, with the Conservatives as the largest opposition party having 15 seats on the authority.

On a parliamentary level, the ward sits within the Leicester South constituency, whose MP is currently Shockat Adam Patel (Independent).

He won his seat off the back of the 2024 general election, scraping an impressive win over Labour with a majority of 979 votes.

The two party system is in jeopardy in Leicester, with recent polls putting the Greens out front with a 37 per cent share, Reform UK boasting a 20 per cent slice, and Independent candidates putting on a good campaign to sway 28 per cent of the electorate.

THE FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES STANDING IN STONEYGATE:

• Michael Barker - Independent
• Aasiya Bora - Green
• Michael James Dabrowski - Reform UK
• Rashmikant Joshi - Conservative
• Faisal Noor - Independent
• Adam Yusuf Sabat - Labour
• Asit Sodha - Lib Dem
• Alef Uddin - One Leicester

Zetland (Redcar and Cleveland)

Finally, over in Redcar, a by-election is happening in the Zetland ward within Redcar and Cleveland Council.

This by-election was called following the resignation of Independent councillor Jonny Neal, who was appointed to the council under Labour in 2023, before ditching the group last year.

The local Labour group, led by council leader Alec Brown, currently has minority control of the council.

On a parliamentary level, the ward sits within the Redcar constituency, under Labour MP Anna Turley, who won her seat back in 2024, having previously served from 2015 to 2019.

She won her seat off the back of the 2024 general election, with a staggering margin of 3,323 votes.

Recent polls in the Redcar region show Reform UK soaring ahead with a whopping 86 per cent of votes.

THE FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES STANDING IN STONEYGATE:

• Alison Barnes - Lib Dem
• Igraine Gray - Conservative
• Michael Manning - Reform UK
• Mitchell Rynn - Labour
• Brian Marc Teasdale - Green

Last week, the Conservative party retained their seat in the Worth Valley ward of Bradford, with a majority of 898 votes.

Reform UK came in second picking up 26 per cent of the vote, with Labour falling to a mere 12 per cent of votes - down more than 19 per cent from last time.

Over in Fletton and Woodston ward of Peterborough, Reform UK won out by a hair, taking the seat from a defending Labour by a mere 36 votes - just 1.9 per cent.

Here, the Greens and Conservative party both beat out the Labour candidate, further showing the slip by Labour, even across stronghold regions.