Reform UK swooped to victory in four by-elections this week, bouncing back from losing two seats the week prior in their first defence of seats as a party.

Claiming seats from the Tories and Labour, Nigel Farage's party also finished in second place in five other by-election contests.

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.

Farage's party swooped to victory in four council seats

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."

Reform claimed the seat, previously held by Labour

Reform MP Lee Anderson called the four victories 'a huge win'

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".

Reform claimed 52.7 per cent of the vote

Pictured - the four council winners for Reform UK

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.

Reform won the Northway seat with 41.4 per cent of the vote

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."

Reform fended off challenges from six other candidates

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.