Reform UK Makes History with Landslide By-Election Victory in Skelton

Redcar & Cleveland Council

Reform UK breaks records with historic landslide win in the Skelton by-election...

10th October 2025

Reform UK has made electoral history after securing an astonishing 65.3% of the vote in the Skelton East by-election held on Teesside yesterday evening— one of the highest vote shares seen in any local by-election for decades.

The by-election, triggered by the resignation of Conservative Councillor Andy Oliver, paved the way for a closely watched contest in what was once considered a safe Tory seat. Reform UK’s candidate, Craig Holmes, stormed to victory, marking a significant political shift in Redcar & Cleveland.

Mr Holmes, a former Conservative councillor, served with the Royal Engineers in the British Army and later worked as a firefighter. Proudly describing himself as a “lifelong Skelton lad,” his decisive win highlights the growing appeal of Reform UK among traditional working-class and ex-Conservative voters & once again, putting Labours fragile hold on Redcar & Cleveland Council in jeopardy.

This result follows another landmark election moment for the party earlier this year, where in May 2025, Reform UK clinched victory in the Runcorn & Helsby parliamentary by-election by just six votes — the narrowest margin at a by-election since 1945.

Candidate Sarah Pochin won with 12,645 votes, narrowly beating Labour’s Karen Shore, who polled 12,639. The win shattered the previous post-war record for a slim majority, which stood at 57 votes from the 1973 Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election.

With Redcar & Cleveland Council currently under minority Labour control, Reform UK’s momentum is sending shockwaves through local politics. As the 2026 local elections approach, many observers predict that numerous Labour-held seats could fall to Reform, especially in Hartlepool, reshaping the political landscape across Teesside along with it..