Reform win Bromley by-election despite big Tory push
In a sign of a shifting political landscape Reform have won a by-election in Bromley borough.
Reform took the Bromley Common & Holwood seat which returned three Conservatives in the 2022 election. The Tories poured much effort into the seat with leader Kemi Badenoch visiting the area yesterday.
However the party saw its vote share drop 11.8 per cent with Reform’s Alan Cook victorious.
Labour weren’t too far behind in 2022 but saw their vote fall by 10.4 per cent.
It’s the latest win for Reform as they edge closer to London. They now run Kent Council Council and last week won two by-elections in Dartford borough. Now they have their first seat in Bromley.
It’s been speculated the party could make strong gains in outer London in boroughs such as Bexley and Bromley in the 2026 local elections.
Meanwhile on the other end of the political spectrum yesterday saw the launch of Jeremy Corbyn’s new party, which threatens to hit Labour already struggling with poor poll numbers nationally.
In south London the party has seen a number of problems in recent months. They recently lost a by-election in Shooters Hill to the Gree’s after the sitting Labour councillor was threatened with suspension and resigned. She ended up backing the victorious Green candidate.
Meanwhile in Lewisham borough two Labour councillors have recently defected to the Greens, and in Southwark a controversial leadership election has caused internal Labour rifts.
Three Labour councillors have defied the second leadership vote – which saw an original win for the left wing candidate re-run and him losing – while the Chair of Southwark Labour has quit.
The political landscape is certainly shifting, and the two big parties of old are now looking squeezed on either side.
London-wide local elections are now just ten months away.
The full Bromley result is:
- Alan Cook (Reform UK) 1,342 votes
- Ruth Fabricant (Green Party) 185 votes
- Laura Christine McCracken (Liberal Democrats) 540 votes
- Elizabeth Hookway Morgan (Labour Party) 720 votes
- Ian Frederick Payne (Local Conservatives) 1,161 votes
Turn out was 28 per cent.
Congratulations to Reform UK’s Alan Cook for being the first Reform UK Councillor on Bromley Council.
People have had enough of the main three parties Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and now want a new fresh approach in British Politics. I can see further gains for Reform UK and The Green Party in future local elections and the next General Election.
But they will need to listen seriously to their members and the public on issues that affect them. This is something the main three parties have continually failed to do and take their voters for granted.
Think we need to be careful about overstating Reforms success – the turn out means that Reform actually only won 10% of the registered voters over, this illustrates people’s disengagement from politics rather than a massive endorsement for Reform
I agree politicians tend to be in it for themselves nowdays. Gone are the days when people became councillors because they cared about the area (council ward) and people they represented. Councillors never used not to be paid s a councillor and just claimed expenses for stationery and stamps.
We had some great Councillors in Jim Gillman, Janet Gillman and John Austin Walker who wete great hands on councillors. Who wete also visible and available for their constituents. The likes we will never see again.
Now days we only see a councillor every four years at election time if you are lucky.
People have lost their trust in politicians and politics generally.