Reform UK has emerged as an electoral force. Nigel Farage's right-wing party won 10 councils, two mayoralties and a parliamentary by-election during Thursday's polls. Wes Streeting, speaking for the government on Sunday,

Until now, Reform’s political impact had far outweighed its electoral impact. Mr Farage’s team had topped the polls on and off since the start of the year; the local elections on May 1st were a chance to show that this surge was not just an artefact of polling. The party took it.

Reform UK members in Worcestershire are promising to cut spending and end what they call "woke politics", despite not having overall control of the county council after Thursday's elections. The party is now the biggest on the authority with 27 seats - two shy of an overall majority.