The 2025 local and mayoral elections have delivered a seismic shake-up across England, marking a sobering night for the Conservatives, a modest disappointment for Labour, and significant gains for Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats. With all results now in, the overall picture reveals a shifting political landscape, one that suggests a further fragmentation of traditional party loyalties.
Council elections: A conservative collapse
The most striking outcome of Thursday’s contests was the complete rout of the Conservative Party across local councils. Not a single council previously under Conservative control was held, a sign of the party’s waning appeal in both traditional heartlands and marginal battlegrounds.
The standout story was the remarkable rise of Reform UK, which has secured majorities on 10 of the 23 councils that went to the polls. In a political upset few predicted, Reform now holds power in Derbyshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, and West Northamptonshire – all wrestled from Tory control. They also gained Doncaster from Labour and Durham from a previously hung council. In many of these areas, Reform had no councillors prior to polling day.
In addition to the councils it now controls, Reform emerged as the largest party on four more: Cornwall, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. These were all formerly under Conservative leadership, underlining the breadth of Reform’s reach.
However, the picture for Reform wasn’t universally rosy. In southern counties such as Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, the party struggled to make significant headway, winning just a handful of seats.
Lib dem surge in the South
While Reform gained ground in the Midlands and North, the Liberal Democrats solidified their position in the South of England, gaining majority control in Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, and Shropshire, and becoming the largest party in Devon, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, and Wiltshire.
Their success came at the expense of the Conservatives, who endured calamitous defeats across many councils. In Kent, the Tories saw their seats slashed from 56 to five. In Devon, they dropped from 40 to seven. Similar wipeouts were seen in Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire.
The Lib Dems’ resurgence underscores their growing appeal to disillusioned Tory voters, particularly in rural and suburban regions where they are capitalising on local issues and dissatisfaction with the government’s direction.
Labour falters where It hoped to flourish
Labour entered this year’s elections hopeful of further gains after its strong performance in the 2024 general election. Instead, it suffered a net loss in council seats and the ignominy of losing Doncaster – the only council it was defending – where its representation plummeted from 41 councillors to just 12.
In total, Labour secured only 98 councillors, down 198 from its previous standing, a stark warning sign that it, too, is vulnerable to Reform’s insurgent appeal.
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Mayoral elections: Fragmentation rules the day
Six mayoral contests were held – four regional and two local – and they echoed the wider theme of political fragmentation. Labour won three contests: Ros Jones retained Doncaster, Karen Clark took North Tyneside, and Helen Godwin won the West of England. Yet all three did so with less than a third of the vote, and Reform came a close second in each.
In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, the Conservatives found their lone success of the night, where Paul Bristow captured the mayoralty in a crowded race. However, the result was tight, with Reform, Labour, and the Lib Dems all within a few percentage points of the winner.
Two new mayoral posts were created this year – in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull & East Yorkshire – and both were won convincingly by Reform UK. Former Conservative MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns won in Lincolnshire with 42% of the vote, while Olympic boxing medallist Luke Campbell secured Hull & East Yorkshire with 35.8%.
Turnout troubles
One constant across all six mayoral races was dismal turnout, ranging from just 29.8% in Hull & East Yorkshire to 33.6% in North Tyneside. Despite fierce campaigning and high-profile candidates, nearly two-thirds of voters stayed home, raising questions about voter engagement and the effectiveness of first-past-the-post in reflecting public will.
Conclusion: A fractured electorate
The 2025 local and mayoral elections reflect an increasingly fractured political landscape in England. The Conservative collapse, Reform’s rise, the Lib Dem revival, and Labour’s uncertain standing point to an electorate disenchanted with old certainties. With a general election likely within 18 months, these results are a wake-up call to all major parties. The era of two-party dominance may well be over.
