Reform UK sweeps 16 seats in Halton Sefton Election Results

Reform UK won 16 of the 19 seats up for election in Halton, with Jonathan Mackie calling the result for sefton election results "absolutely unbelievable" after winning Central and West Bank. Labour held on to just two of the seats it was defending, but retained overall control of Halton Council.

Halton Council Count

Mackie said: "We were expecting maybe 14, but to deliver 16 out of 19 is unbelievable really." He also said: "The Labour vote collapsed everywhere, which is not really a surprise, because we've been out on the doorstep and it was clear that there was a mood for change, and we've delivered."

Halton has 32 councillors overall, so the contest changed the make-up of the seats being fought without changing who runs the authority. For voters in the wards that changed hands, the immediate result is a larger Reform presence on the council and fewer Labour councillors returned from the seats under election.

Sarah Pochin In Runcorn

Sarah Pochin, the Reform MP for Runcorn, said: "A fantastic result and a huge step forward for Reform UK in Halton," after the council count. She had won the Runcorn seat for Reform in a by-election last year, adding another local result to the party's position in the area.

Knowsley And St Helens

The wider local election night also showed movement in nearby Knowsley, where Labour lost six seats but still has 24 councillors in total. Independent candidates gained two seats there, and Reform picked up four seats.

Counting was continuing in St Helens, which was expected to be the last North West council to declare. Graham Morgan, the Knowsley Council leader, called on Sir Keir Starmer to consider his position and said: "There's got to be a complete change in direction here," as the region's results kept coming in.