By-election loss sparks calls for course correction as Reform celebrates historic gain
Sir Keir Starmer has admitted Labour’s by-election loss in Runcorn and Helsby to Reform UK was “disappointing” and pledged his government would “go further and faster” to deliver the change voters expect.
The Prime Minister made the comments during a visit to Bedfordshire on Friday, following the shock result that saw Reform’s Sarah Pochin take the seat by a margin of just six votes — the narrowest by-election victory since the Second World War.
Labour’s defeat in the Cheshire constituency — a seat it held with 53% of the vote less than a year ago — has rattled nerves within the party and fuelled criticism of some of Starmer’s policy decisions, particularly those seen as austerity-driven.
Speaking to reporters, Starmer said: “We get it. Voters are impatient, they want to see real change, and that’s what we’re here to deliver. We’ve already started that work — whether it’s bringing down NHS waiting lists or stabilising the economy — but we must move faster.”
The by-election was triggered after former Labour MP Mike Amesbury resigned following an admission he had punched a constituent. Reform seized on the opportunity, and Pochin, a former Tory councillor, made history by securing the win with just 17,132 votes to Labour’s 17,126.
The result comes amid a string of gains for Reform across England in Thursday’s local elections, with leader Nigel Farage hailing it as a “very big moment” for his party. “It’s extraordinary — Labour has alienated its base. People are fed up with broken promises,” Farage said.
In response to calls from Labour backbenchers to reconsider recent cuts and tax hikes, including means-testing the winter fuel allowance and raising employers’ National Insurance contributions, Starmer defended his stance: “We inherited a broken economy. Other PMs might have pretended otherwise. I chose to act responsibly to stabilise the ship.”
The backlash, however, has been swift. Labour MPs including Diane Abbott and Brian Leishman warned the leadership that voters were rejecting continued belt-tightening. “If we don’t improve people’s lives soon, the next government will be a far-right one,” Leishman said.
Doncaster’s Labour mayor Ros Jones, who narrowly won re-election, echoed the sentiment. “The message from the people is clear — enough is enough. They want delivery, not more excuses.”
Labour Party chair Ellie Reeves admitted voters were “frustrated” but maintained that “change takes time”. Speaking to Times Radio, she said: “We’ve had to do the difficult work of stabilising the economy. Now it’s about accelerating progress on our Plan for Change.”
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In her victory speech, Pochin declared: “Enough Tory failure, enough Labour lies. The people of Runcorn and Helsby want honesty and results — and that’s what I’ll fight for.”
Meanwhile, Reform’s growing presence wasn’t limited to Runcorn. The party also made significant gains in council seats across England, including taking control of Staffordshire County Council from the Conservatives. In Greater Lincolnshire, Dame Andrea Jenkyns won the regional mayoral race, declaring an “end to soft-touch Britain” and suggesting controversial asylum policies such as housing migrants in tents.
Pressed on whether her remarks were divisive, Jenkyns insisted: “It’s what the silent majority think.”
There was some comfort for Labour elsewhere, as the party retained the West of England and North Tyneside mayoralties, albeit with reduced majorities and Reform in strong second places.
The Conservatives, facing their own collapse in support, said Labour’s loss showed that “Keir Starmer’s change agenda has been roundly rejected.”
As the dust settles from a bruising night at the ballot box, one message rings clear across the political spectrum — the electorate is demanding more. Whether Labour can respond swiftly enough remains to be seen.
