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'What you’re witnessing is an historic change in British politics', says Farage

The Reform UK leader said his party was exceeding predictions in the local elections

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Reform are gaining councillors in the local elections.
Reform are gaining councillors in the local elections. Picture: Getty

By Thomas Layton

Nigel Farage has said that Britain's two-party political system is "finished" whilst praising Reform's "stunning" performance in local elections.

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Farage told reporters at the party’s Millbank headquarters: “I think what you’re witnessing is an historic change in British politics. Forget left-right, there is no more left-right. It is gone, it is out of the window, it’s finished."

“As you can see, we are scoring stunning percentages in traditional old Labour areas," he added.

Reform UK are winning gains from Labour and Tory strongholds in what is becoming a bloodbath for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

This includes councillors across Leigh, Andy Burnham's traditionally Labour seat in Greater Manchester.

Read more: LIVE: Electoral bloodbath for Labour as party faces apocalyptic losses which could spell the end of Starmer

Read more: Andy Burnham pulls out of keynote speech amid rumours of Starmer challenge after local election results

Local Elections 2026: Havering Count And Declaration
Vote counts began at 10pm on Thursday. Picture: Getty

Farage said: “We’re currently averaging about 39% of the vote, of the seats that are in already, we’re currently on 145 seats won. “We are way exceeding anything that I thought.”

Reform will be looking to increase their gains when Scottish and Welsh polling stations start counting.

When speaking about his predictions later Friday, he said: “What you’ll see tomorrow is the same pattern repeated across the south when we win Essex by an extraordinary margin and Norfolk by an extraordinary margin.”

Labour's Local Election Campaign Enters Final Days
Labour's Local Election Campaign Enters Final Days. Picture: Getty

Labour's rough night had been predicted by many within the party. Labour Justice Minister Jake Richards admitted that the party was in for a bruising night."

We are going to lose some good people tonight," he said.

Mr Richards added that "people want change faster... people aren't feeling it".

Richards did, however, say that he thinks Brits do not want the country to change Prime Minister for the seventh time in a decade.