John Curtice: Early results show how fragmented UK politics has become
Summary
Recent local election results in the UK show that political support is spread across many parties rather than concentrated in a few. The Reform party is leading in seats won, especially in areas that supported Brexit, while the Labour and Conservative parties have lost many seats. The Green Party has increased its vote share but gained fewer seats, and the Liberal Democrats have not made large advances.Key Facts
- The Reform party won about 30% of seats declared so far and leads in vote share across many wards.
- Reform performs strongest in areas that voted heavily for Brexit in 2016, averaging 41% support there.
- The Green Party’s vote share rose by seven points compared to previous elections, reaching 16%, but seat gains have been modest.
- Labour’s support dropped by 16 points since 2022 and 19 points since early 2024, losing around 250 seats and several councils.
- The Conservative Party’s support decreased by 11 points since 2022 and 9 points since early 2024, losing 137 seats overall.
- Conservatives regained control of Westminster council, partly due to Labour’s falling support.
- The Liberal Democrats have lost some support and control of Hull but gained control of Portsmouth and Stockport.
- Overall, these results reflect fragmented political support across multiple parties rather than dominance by the traditional two major parties.
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