Labour’s significant losses in council by-elections, including historic defeats in Caerphilly, Redcar, and Leicester, may raise concerns among voters and analysts about the party’s current standing ahead of next week’s parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton.
In Caerphilly, Labour’s vote collapsed by 28 points to 26.8%, handing the Van ward to Plaid Cymru, which secured 43.3%, with Reform UK trailing on 28.5%.
The Liberal Democrats claimed Zetland in Redcar, with Labour down 25 points. A party source said:
“Labour’s vote is collapsing across the country… We’re on the up and chomping at the bit for more big gains.”
Labour also lost Stoneygate in Leicester to the Greens. Councillor-elect Aasiya Bora called the win:
“Breathtaking.”
Andrew Neil called out Chancellor Rachel Reeves in a post on X, offering some “corrections,” after she made a series of boasts about the economy.
Neil wrote on X, “Some corrections: You inherited 2% inflation. It doubled in 12 months after you became Chancellor.
“It is still 50% above the rate you inherited and 50% above target. It should fall to target 2% this summer. So two years to get back to where you started! What’s to boast about that? Interest rates have been falling everywhere.
“UK cuts, which you don’t control, have been fewer and smaller because of your inflation record. We still have highest interest rate in G7. The Bank has made some cuts for the simple reason the economy is flat on its back.
“Well done. Borrowing is slowly falling from a very high base. Almost six years after the pandemic-induced recession, we’re still borrowing around 4% GDP. And borrowing costs are the highest in the G7. Retail sales are up in recent months. We’ll see how long that’s sustained. But the hospitality and construction industries are in crisis. Plus our massive services sector is stagnant.
“UK fastest G7 economy? That’s simply a bare-faced lie. We grew by 0.1% in Q3 2025; and another 0.1% in Q4. End of.”
Some corrections:
You inherited 2% inflation. It doubled in 12 months after you became Chancellor. It is still 50% above the rate you inherited and 50% above target. It should fall to target 2% this summer. So two years to get back to where you started! What’s to boast about… https://t.co/1YKkdSC6XI— Andrew Neil (@afneil) February 20, 2026
Green leader Zack Polanski expressed confidence ahead of the Gorton and Denton vote, “We are confident, but not complacent. This is a two-horse race between the Greens and Reform UK.”
Next week’s by-election in Gorton and Denton is shaping up as a pivotal contest, with implications for the national political landscape, as the Greens on the left, Reform UK on the right, and Labour are struggling to defend their ground.
These results underline Labour’s ongoing struggles in local elections and suggest a potentially turbulent run-up to the next round of parliamentary and council contests, raising questions about the party’s future electoral prospects.
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