Reform handed major by-election victory as Nigel Farage secures historic first

Scottish Labour Party, which previously held the seat until the resignation of councillor David Russell, meanwhile trailed behind with 627 votes.

Reacting to the result, Nigel Farage said: "This is a fantastic victory for Reform UK Scotland in a seat we were not expected to win."

The Party's Scotland branch described it as a "momentous day", adding: "Reform is coming."

The by-election victory marks a potentially defining moment for Reform ahead of the Holyrood elections in 2026.

And it comes just days after Mr Farage announced a surprise defection from the Conservatives while speaking in Scotland.

Lord Offord of Garvel became the first member of the House of Lords to join Reform as he revealed his departure from the Tories.

He brings extensive political experience to the party, having served as Minister of State for Scotland between 2021 and 2024.

Lord Offord was also Minister of State for Exports between 2023 and 2024 and was Treasurer of the Scottish Conservatives.

Welcoming the former Tory peer, Mr Farage said: “I am delighted to welcome Malcolm to Reform.

“This is a brave and historic act. He will take Reform UK Scotland to a new level,” the Clacton MP declared.

Reform added three more by-election wins to its record this week. GB News breaks down the full results below.

South Kesteven - Lincolnshire 

Reform marked a double victory in Lincolnshire, taking hold of two seats on South Kesteven District Council.

This includes in the Belmont ward, where the resignation of Independent councillor Phil Gadd left a vacant seat.

And it was Reform candidate Richard Litchfield who 239 votes in a tight race with the Conservatives, who followed closely behind with 237 votes.

The picture was similar in the Aveland ward where Reform took a Tory seat, with winning candidate Kyle Abel taking home 290 votes.

Red Hall and Lingfield - Darlington 

Reform also saw success in Durham, where a seat was up for grabs on Darlington Borough Council after Labour councillor Amanda Riley stood down from her post.

Mr Farage's party stormed ahead, with candidate Michael Walker bagging 37.7 per cent of the votes.

Labour meanwhile fell in distant fourth place, with 16.8 per cent of votes.

 Stockton-on-Tees - Durham 

The Tories successfully defended their seat on Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council in Country Durham on the Eaglescliffe West ward.

Conservative candidate John Dodds was comfortably in first place with 60.9 per cent of votes, while Reform came in spot number two with 24 per cent of votes.

It was the Greens in third place with 7.6 per cent of votes, while Labour came in last with 7.5 per cent.

Lichfield - Staffordshire 

It was another Conservative win on Lichfield City Council in the Armitage & Handsacre ward, where the party again fended off candidates to keep hold of its seat.

Winning candidate Martyn Punyer secured 46.7 per cent of votes, while Reform UK followed behind with 31.9 per cent.

Labour meanwhile came in third, with a smaller share of the votes at 9.4 per cent, while Lib Dems came in fourth with 7.3 per cent and Greens in last place with 4.7 per cent.

Reacting to his win, Mr Punyer said: "I’m very pleased to announce that I won!

"Thank you to everybody who voted for me and all the amazing volunteers who helped. The hard work starts now."

Penyrheol - Caerphilly

It was a victory for Plaid Cymru in the Caerphilly County Borough Council by-election in the Penyrheol ward.

Lindsay Whittle’s election to the Senedd prompted this by-election, forcing him to step down from his council job due to rules banning Senedd members from serving as councillors.

His party however held strong in defending the seat, winning 60.1 per cent of votes.

Reform UK meanwhile took home 26.5 per cent of the votes, while Labour fell in third place with 7.2 per cent, followed by the Tories with 4.2 per cent and Lib Dems with two per cent.

more updates to follow..

Fort William and Ardnamurchan - Highland Council

The Scottish Lib Dems marked success in the Highland Council by-election held in the Fort William & Ardnamurchan ward.

The party snatched victory from the SNP’s who previously held the seat until Sarah Fanet confirmed she would be stepping down from the role in October.

Lib Dem candidate Matthew Prosser bagged 40.4 per cent of the votes, following by the SNP's with 29.1 per cent and Reform with 9.6 per cent.

The Greens followed closely behind Reform with 9.4 per cent, followed by the Tories with 7.6 per cent and Labour with 3.8 per cent.