Reform UK came from nowhere to win more than 600 votes in the Heworth by-election.
It was enough to take the runners-up spot in the York poll – albeit nearly 500 votes behind Labour.
But Reform said this reflected the fact they were starting ‘from scratch’ in York.
The results
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| John Crispin Bailey | Reform UK | 601 |
| Emma Dolben | Conservative | 118 |
| Ian Eiloart | Lib Dems | 528 |
| Ben Ffrench | Green | 591 |
| Emma Hardy | Independent | 49 |
| Anna Perrett | Labour | 1,096 |
Reform candidate John Crispin-Bailey said: “We worked very hard and tried our best, we had to do everything from scratch and it’s been a real challenge but when there’s another election we’ll be on a level playing field.
“There was a lot of disappointment about the way potholes were being dealt with in the ward, it’s an issue not just for car drivers but bus drivers and cyclists too.”
The election was seen as a key test for Labour and as a bellwether for the political mood in York, with Reform currently leading in the polls nationally.
In the event, Anna Perrett held the seat for Labour, which also meant the party held onto to its overall majority of one on the council.
Labour has 24 seats on the 47-member authority, Liberal Democrats 19 with the Conservatives on three and one held by an independent.
Cost of living
Speaking at the count at Tang Hall Explore Ms Perrett said the cost of living was a big issue for voters, along with national and even global issues.
“By-elections are always a referendum, but people recognise there’s been a lot of hard work in Heworth,” she said.
“It shows that a team who is acting on residents’ concerns is going to win rather than people who just turn up for the election.”
Green Ben Ffrench, who came third, said the results were postive for his party.
“There was lots of positive reaction on the doorstep and we held our position compared to last time,” he said.
“There’s lots of work to be done but it bodes well for the future.”
Liberal Democrat candidate Ian Eiloart , who came fourth, said his party finishing close to the Greens and Reform showed people were unhappy with Labour and the Conservatives were finished.
He said: “Labour’s majority is well down, most of the people I spoke to said they’d vote for anyone but Reform but they weren’t sure who.
“The electorate fell into three parts, traditional Labour voters, Reform voters and anti-Reform voters, and the turnout was so low.”
Conservative Emma Dolben, who came fifth, said the result had gone as expected but it also showed there was a lot of apathy.
The Conservative said: “People are annoyed and they don’t feel like their concerns are being answered.
“Antisocial behaviour was a big issue for people, it’s causing a lot of problems in Heworth.”
Election facts and figures
A total of 2,983 votes were cast in the election.
The turnout was 31.6 per cent, close to the 31.7 per cent in the May 2023 all-out local elections which saw Labour take control of the council.
Labour’s share of the vote fell by 27.5 per cent compared to the last election in May 2023 to 36.7 per cent, according to Election Maps UK.
Reform received 20 per cent of the vote.
The Greens got 19.8 per cent, up by 4.4 compared to 2023, while the Liberal Democrats saw their share rise by 10.2 per cent to 17.7.
The Conservatives’ share fell by 8.8 per cent to 4 per cent, with independent Ms Hardy taking 1.6.
