Reform UK has won the first by-election of this parliament in Runcorn and Helsby.
Reform candidate Sarah Pochin secured 12,645 votes, 38.7 per cent of the total.
Labour candidate Karen Shore finished in second place with 12,639 votes — giving Reform a margin of victory of just six votes. It is comfortably the smallest majority achieved by a party at a by-election in post-war history.
The result was finally declared after a full recount was ordered in the constituency.
The by-election in Labour’s 49th safest seat was triggered by the resignation of former MP Mike Amesbury, who stood down following an assault charge in March. Amesbury spent three nights in HMP Altcourse, Merseyside, in February before successfully appealing his sentence.
Pochin, a former magistrate, had focused her campaign on immigration, targeting asylum hotels, houses of multiple occupation and Turkish barbers.
In her victory speech, she thanked Nigel Farage as Reform’s “great leader” and said the result would “inspire” the rest of the country to believe that they too can “stand up for British values”.
She said: “I’ve had a team of very talented, dedicated and professional individuals behind me every step of the way and I would like to thank them all from the bottom of my heart.
“Firstly to our great leader Nigel Farage, who has so inspired me to stand up for this country. To our party chairman Zia Yusuf who has given me invaluable support and counsel throughout this campaign. And to the exceptional team led by John Burns my campaign manager.
“The people of Runcorn and Helsby have spoken. Enough is enough. Enough Tory failure, enough Labour lies. And I want to thank every one of you who were brave enough to put a cross against my name on the ballot paper.
She added: “I know our victory here in Runcorn and Helsby will inspire the rest of the country to believe that they too can stand up for fairness, for what is right and for our British values, and their voices can be heard.
“We have made history tonight here in Runcorn and Helsby. Now, together, let’s build a better future. Thank you.”
Who is Sarah Pochin?
The prime minister, Keir Starmer, did not travel to the Runcorn and Helsby constituency during the campaign.
Asked what message the result sent, Farage told broadcasters: “What it sends is a message not just from here but across the country that we are now the opposition to the Labour party, who are in government, and actually in most parts of the country now, if you vote Conservative, you get Labour.”
Runcorn and Helsby is a new constituency that was only created in time for the general election in July 2024. More than half of it (51.2 per cent) came from the former constituency of Weaver Vale, with 37.1 per cent from Halton and the remainder from three other former constituencies — Ellesmere Port and Neston, Eddisbury, and City of Chester.
Amesbury, the former MP, won a clear majority for Labour in the 2024 general election, with 22,358 votes to Reform’s 7,662. The Conservatives finished third — more than 900 votes behind Reform.
At the 2025 by-election, the Conservatives won just 2,341 votes.
The full results were as follows:
- Sarah Pochin (Reform) – 12,645 (38.72 per cent, +20.58 per cent)
- Karen Shore (Labour) – 12,639 (38.70 per cent, -14.23 per cent)
- Sean Houlston (Conservative) – 2,341 (7.17 per cent, -8.83 per cent)
- Chris Copeman (Green) – 2,314 (7.09 per cent, +0.66 per cent)
- Paul Duffy (Liberal Democrat) – 942 (2.88 per cent, -2.20 per cent)
- Dan Clarke (Liberal) – 454 (1.39 per cent, +0.26 per cent)
- Michael Williams (Independent) – 363 (1.11 per cent)
- Alan McKie (Independent) – 269 (0.82 per cent)
- Peter Ford (Workers Party) – 164 (0.50 per cent)
- John Stevens (Rejoin EU) – 129 (0.40 per cent)
- Howling Laud Hope (Monster Raving Loony) – 128 (0.39 per cent)
- Catherine Blaiklock (English Democrat) – 95 (0.29 per cent)
- Paul Murphy (SDP) – 68 (0.21 per cent, -0.07 per cent)
- Jason Hughes (Volt) – 54 (0.17 per cent)
- Graham Moore (English Constitution) – 50 (0.15 per cent)
Reacting to the result, Labour said voters “clearly expect the government to move faster” to change the country.
A Labour spokesperson said: “By-elections are always difficult for the party in government and the events which led to this one being called made it even harder. Voters are still rightly furious with the state of the country after 14 years of failure and clearly expect the government to move faster with the Plan for Change.
“While Labour has suffered an extremely narrow defeat, the shock is that the Conservative vote has collapsed. Moderate voters are clearly appalled by the talk of a Tory-Reform pact.
“There are encouraging signs that our Plan for Change is working – NHS waiting lists, inflation and interest rates down with wages up – but we will go further and faster to deliver change with relentless focus on putting money back into people’s pockets.”
The Conservative Party said the result suggests Keir Starmer is “on course to be a one-term prime minister”.
A spokesperson commented: “This result is a damning verdict on Keir Starmer’s leadership which has led to Labour losing a safe seat.
“Just 10 months ago Labour won an enormous majority, including in this seat with 52% of the vote, but their policies have been a punch in the face for the people of Runcorn. Snatching Winter Fuel Payments from vulnerable pensioners, pushing farmers to the brink with their vindictive Family Farms Tax and hammering families with a £3500 jobs tax, families are being punished for their disastrous decisions in government. Now we know why Keir Starmer never bothered to visit the area.
“Keir Starmer promised change, but the change he’s delivered has been roundly rejected. Keir Starmer’s MPs will rightfully question his leadership and whether he is now on course to be a one term prime minister.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.
