Labour leader says Reform’s by-election win in Rotherham reflects national voter frustration
The Labour leader of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has said the party’s loss in Keppel Ward is part of a growing national trend, following a night that saw Reform UK win by-elections not only in Rotherham, but also in Bassetlaw and Hartlepool.
Reform UK candidate Tony Harrison secured 1,160 votes in Rotherham’s Keppel ward, becoming the party’s first ever councillor on the council. Labour’s candidate, Kieran Bold, placed third with 558 votes.
Reacting to the result, Labour group leader Cllr Chris 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 and Bassetlaw and Hartlepool last night were almost identical results, in similar seats where Labour and the Tories were both badly beaten by Reform.
In the Ranskill Ward by-election in Bassetlaw, Reform UK’s Andrew McCallum won with 323 votes, more than tripling the Labour candidate’s 96. In Throston Ward, Hartlepool, Reform’s Ed Doyle was elected with 595 votes, ahead of Labour on 475.
Cllr Read said these results point to a wider frustration among voters: “That says to me this is a national challenge, voters are not seeing the improvements they wanted from this government fast enough, they’re upset about some of the changes Labour in government has had to make, and they’re sending a very strong message that they want to see positive change much faster.”
While Labour continues to hold the majority of seats in Rotherham, the loss of Keppel will come as a blow. The party had hoped to retain the seat following the resignation of Cllr Carole Foster.
Asked whether Labour can regain ground in future elections, Cllr Read was optimistic: “Can we win their support back in the future? Yes, I think so. We’ll do that by continuing to prioritise investment in our communities, addressing the housing and jobs challenges that our communities face, fixing the damage done by 14 years of austerity to make life fairer, and improving our community and public spaces.
“In the end, I don’t believe that Reform have anything of any substance to offer that will meaningfully improve people’s lives, but the electorate will judge that for themselves.”