Reform UK has picked up a by-election victory in London despite Kemi Badenoch's heavy campaigning in the ward.

Alan Cook became the party's first directly-elected London councillor after he won the Bromley Common & Holwood by-election last night.

Reform won 34 per cent of the vote, with the Tories Ian Frederick Payne dropping by 11.8 points to 29.4 per cent. Labour's Elizabeth Morgan fell by 10.4 points to 18.2 per cent,

It was disappointing night for progressive parties in the ward as Liberal Democrat candidate Laura McCracken finished fourth, with Ruth Fabricant for the Green Party ending up fifth.

The Bromley Common & Holwood by-election was sparked by the death of the incumbent Conservative councillor Jonathan Laidlaw, who passed away in May.

Commenting about the win, Reform campaigner Michael Hadwen said: "Alan Cook and his team can be proud, a huge result that proves Reform is on the rise in the capital.”

Former Liberal Democrat MP turned Reform activist Lembit Opik said: "Alan Cook of Reform UK just won a spectacular victory in the Bromley Common and Holwood by-election.

"Tories are finished. Labour is pointless. Reform UK is the future."

REFORM UK | Alan Cook won the seat in Bromley

Cook's victory comes despite campaigning from Badenoch, who appeared in the ward.

As one commentator suggested on social media: "It’s the most Tory place you can imagine. Leafy, wealthy, complacent. For the Conservatives to lose here is frankly extraordinary."

Writing on social media, Badenoch said: "Labour has already raised council tax despite promising a freeze and schools like Bishop Challoner in Bromley are closing, citing their VAT hike as a reason.

"We won’t let them. Vote Conservative. Vote Ian Payne, and protect what matters."

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Cook finished third for Reform at last year's General Election in the Bromley & Biggin Hill seat, which includes the ward.

Last year, the Conservative candidate Peter Fortune beat Labour's Oana Olaru-Holmes by just 302 votes, with Reform in third and Julie Ireland from the Liberal Democrats in fourth.

Speaking before his by-election success, Cook said: "I am a father-of-two and following a successful career in the city, I am now determined to work hard to deliver Reform UK's objective of effective local government, run in the interests of families, small businesses and the community as a whole.

He previously said he wanted to "start the conversation" about splitting Bromley from the GLA (Greater London Authority),

It comes as Labour has been facing issues from both the left and right in the capital and South West.

The Green Party got its first ever councillor on Greenwich Council as Tamasin Rhymes beat Labour candidate Jummy Dawodu in the Shooters Hill ward.

In Lewisham Borough, two Labour councillors have recently defected to the Greens, with Liam Shrivastava and Hau-Yu Tam joining Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer's party.

Meanwhile, Dan Thomas, a Barnet councillor for 19 years, quit the Conservatives to join Reform last month.

Councillor Laila Cunningham, who represents Lancaster Gate on Westminster City Council, also quit the Conservatives in June, defecting to Nigel Farage's party after admitting that she was "tired of defending failure".