SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
London: Nigel Farage is no longer the clown lobbing bricks from outside the circus tent. He now has a foot inside – and he’s brought the cannon.
The right-wing populist figure, famous for his Brexit advocacy, and his Reform UK party have unleashed a political earthquake, flipping local councils, seizing mayoralties, and even toppling Labour in a House of Commons stronghold.
Nigel Farage and Sarah Pochin of the Reform Party celebrate as the latter is declared the winner of the Runcorn and Helsby byelection.Credit: Getty Images
Farage’s team gained control of at least seven county councils during Thursday’s local government elections, securing over 400 councillors in total.
This isn’t just a protest movement; it’s a political insurgency, fuelled by frustration and led by a figure who knows how to weaponise it.
Farage has changed British politics before. He may be about to do it again – this time, not by leaving the EU, but by redrawing the political map entirely. Perhaps Trump’s first 100 days didn’t kill the populist wave; it’s only just begun to swell.
The 61-year-old’s victorious march began in the Runcorn and Helsby byelection, where Reform’s Sarah Pochin narrowly defeated Labour’s Karen Shore by just six votes; a staggering result considering Labour’s 14,700-strong majority less than a year ago.
Reform’s victory in this seat marks one of the closest byelection results in history, sending shockwaves through both Labour and the Conservatives. Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party, which comfortably won this seat last year, is now reeling, while Reform has positioned itself as the go-to party for disillusioned voters looking for an alternative to the establishment.
Farage’s claim that Reform is now the “main opposition party” might sound preposterous at first. But given the state of the Conservatives, it’s starting to look less like bluster and more like a brutal reckoning.
Nigel Farage celebrates after his Reform Party wins a byelection in the UK.Credit: Getty
Reform gained control of Durham – previously a Labour stronghold – and took Staffordshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire councils from the Conservatives. The Tories have been hit hard, losing majorities in Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire, and Devon.
The Conservatives are now in freefall, still reeling from last year’s general election wipeout. Their message – whatever it is – isn’t landing. Their identity crisis is total.
Labour isn’t faring much better. Starmer’s government, less than a year into its term, is facing discontent from the very voters who put it in power. Fuel payments cut. Energy bills up. Welfare squeezed. Voters in places like Doncaster and North Tyneside – where Labour hung on, but just barely – are wondering what, exactly, has changed. Starmer’s response? “I get it.” But judging by the results, it’s clear many think he doesn’t.
This wasn’t just a culture war campaign, at least not entirely. Yes, Reform leaned into immigration, warning of small boats, overcrowded housing, and even too many Turkish barbers. But it also zeroed in on energy costs, crime, and local services.
In a country where more than half of councils are in financial distress, and public trust in government is at historic lows, Farage’s promise to slash waste and restore order is resonating.
Less than a year into his first term as Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer’s government is facing discontent from the very voters who put it in power.Credit: AP
“We were elected in to deliver change. We’ve begun that,” Starmer said, pointing to waiting lists coming down, wages rising faster than prices, and interest rate cuts.
“The message I take away from these results is we must deliver that change even more quickly, we must go even further.”
Former Conservative minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns delivered a crushing blow to her old party, winning the Greater Lincolnshire mayoralty by a massive 40,000 votes. This represents a stunning reversal of fortune for the Conservatives, who once dominated these regions but now find themselves floundering in the wake of Reform’s surge.
In Durham, Farage crowed, “We’ve had the Labour Party for lunch,” following Reform’s conquest of the county, and he wasn’t shy about taking aim at the Tories either.
“We’ve wiped them out,” he declared, making it clear that his party sees no distinction between Labour and the Conservatives; both are part of the political establishment that Reform is set on dismantling.
Labour’s decline in these local elections mirrors the broader national trend, with Starmer facing criticism for not doing enough to address the disillusionment that is now driving voters toward Farage’s party.
Reform has proven it can win votes not only in Labour areas but is also making serious inroads into Conservative territory, making both main parties wary of the emerging threat. The traditional political order may well be unravelling, and we’re witnessing the dawn of a new, unpredictable era in British politics.
So, what’s next? The Tories will need more than empty promises of renewal, and Labour will have to reconsider its strategy before it loses more ground to the ever-growing juggernaut of Reform.
Farage’s campaign is no longer just noise from the sidelines – it’s a force to be reckoned with.
For now, Farage is king of the rubble. Britain’s political centre has crumbled – and he’s dancing on the ruins.
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