Reform UK has announced Sarah Pochin as its candidate for the Runcorn and Helsby by-election. This follows the resignation of former Labour MP Mike Amesbury after he was handed a suspended prison sentence for punching a man in the street.
The by-election stands as a major test for Sir Keir Starmer’s party, as it will be the first since Labour came to power in July last year. Ms Pochin will be battling against the Labour candidate Karen Shore, Conservative Sean Houlston, Lib Dem’s Paul Duffy and the Green’s Chris Copeman.
Reform has since been eyeing up the seat after placing second in the 2024 General Election. Runcorn and Helsby is a new constituency created in time for the GE in July last year, with Amesbusy winning for Labour with 52.9% of the vote – a majority of 14,696.
A date is yet to be set for the by-election (Image: Getty)
The by-election was triggered by the sentencing of former Labour MP Mike Amesbury (Image: Getty)
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Reform UK came second, taking 18% of the vote. The Conservatives garnered 16%, the Green Party received 6.4% and the Liberal Democrats claimed 5.1%.
No date has been set for the by-election yet as this will be announced upon Amesbury formally standing down. “I’m going to step aside at the earliest opportunity,” he told the BBC. “I’ve got processes I must go through – there’s a statutory process in terms of redundancies.”
Amesbury was the Labour MP for Weaver Vale from June 2017 until the seat was removed in the general election. The new seat, Runcorn and Helsby, is made up of Runcorn, Frodsham and Helsby, as well as various other villages and a larger rural area – it has a population of 93,520.
Reform UK came second in the seat last year, taking 18% of the vote (Image: Getty)
The former MP said he would quit the commons after being handed a 10-week prison sentence for punching a constituent. This was later reduced to a suspended sentence following an appeal. Amesbury said he was “sad” and “devastated”, adding: “Not only for me, but my staff as well, because, course, it goes beyond me, for my family. This is a result of something that I did on October 26.”
Amesbury pleaded guilty in January to assaulting Paul Fellows, 45, after a row in the street in Frodsham, Cheshire, in the early hours of October 26.
Footage showed Amesbury punching Paul Fellows to the head, knocking him to the ground, then following him on to the road and starting to punch him again, at least five times.
Reform Unveils Sarah Pochin as By-Election Candidate for Runcorn and Helsby in Major Challenge to Labour
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK unveiled Sarah Pochin as its candidate for the Runcorn and Helsby by-election in March 2025, setting the stage for a closely watched contest against Labour and offering the party an opportunity to test its growing support at the ballot box.
Pochin, a former Conservative councillor and mayor of Cheshire East, was selected to contest the Cheshire constituency after Labour MP Mike Amesbury announced that he would leave Parliament following his conviction for assaulting a constituent. The vacancy created an important electoral test for Reform, which was seeking to turn its growing national profile into success in Westminster.
Farage presented Pochin as a candidate with business experience and a record of involvement in local public life. Reform’s campaign focused on the cost of living, taxation, small businesses and dissatisfaction with Labour’s performance. The party argued that residents deserved a representative prepared to challenge the government rather than simply defend the established political order.
The eventual result made the contest particularly significant. Pochin won the seat on 1 May 2025 with 12,645 votes, narrowly defeating Labour candidate Karen Shore, who received 12,639. Reform’s majority was just six votes, making it one of the closest parliamentary by-election victories in British history. <Cite refs={[“turn881427search1″,”turn881427search5”]}/>
Who is Sarah Pochin?
Pochin brought experience from local government and the private sector to Reform’s campaign. She had served as a Cheshire East councillor between 2015 and 2023 and was mayor of the council from 2021 to 2022. Reform also highlighted her previous career in business and her experience as a magistrate.
Her political background was not without controversy. Pochin had previously been expelled from the Conservative Party in 2020 following a dispute connected to her bid for a senior council role, according to reporting at the time. Her selection by Reform therefore represented another stage in her political career, moving from local Conservative politics to a party attempting to challenge both Labour and the Conservatives nationally. <Cite refs={[“turn881427search0″,”turn881427search3”]}/>
When her candidacy was announced, Pochin argued that the constituency had been let down by successive Labour representatives. She promised to stand up for local communities and make regeneration a priority.
Her message was designed to appeal to voters who felt that national political arguments had overshadowed local needs. In constituencies such as Runcorn and Helsby, issues including transport, employment, public services and support for small businesses can have a direct effect on household finances and the prospects of local communities.
Why Runcorn and Helsby mattered to Reform
The constituency represented an important opportunity for Reform because Labour had won it comfortably at the 2024 general election. Amesbury had secured a majority of 14,696 over Reform, making the seat a difficult target on the basis of the previous result alone. <Cite refs={[“turn881427search0″,”turn881427news8”]}/>
However, by-elections often develop their own political dynamics. Voter dissatisfaction with the government, the circumstances behind a vacancy and the strength of local candidates can all influence the outcome.
For Farage, the contest offered a chance to demonstrate that Reform could compete in constituencies where Labour had previously enjoyed substantial support. A victory would also strengthen his argument that voters were becoming less willing to remain loyal to the traditional major parties.
Labour, meanwhile, faced the challenge of defending a seat it had won convincingly less than a year earlier. The party needed to persuade voters that it remained capable of delivering on its promises and that a change of representative would not necessarily resolve the issues affecting the constituency.
The Conservatives also faced a difficult contest. Their candidate, Sean Houlston, was competing in a political environment in which Reform was attempting to attract voters who had previously supported the Tories. The result would therefore be relevant not only to Labour but also to the future relationship between Reform and the Conservative Party.
Reform’s campaign against Labour
Pochin’s campaign reflected Reform’s wider message that the government was failing to address concerns about household costs, taxation and the pressures facing local businesses.
Farage and his colleagues have frequently argued that Labour’s decisions impose costs on working people while failing to deliver sufficient improvements to public services. In Runcorn and Helsby, the party sought to turn that national criticism into a local argument about representation and accountability.
Reform’s appeal has often depended on presenting itself as an alternative to what it describes as an established political system that no longer listens to ordinary voters. Its candidates have been encouraged to focus on everyday concerns while also supporting the party’s positions on immigration, national sovereignty and public spending.
That combination can create opportunities for Reform, but it also raises questions about how a relatively young party would translate its national promises into practical policies. Voters may support a call for change while still expecting detailed plans for local regeneration, public transport, healthcare and economic development.
Pochin’s candidacy gave Reform an opportunity to show how its national message could be applied to the specific needs of a Cheshire constituency.
Labour’s challenge and the role of local issues
Labour’s candidate, Karen Shore, entered the campaign seeking to defend the party’s record and retain the constituency. The party had to contend with the political consequences of Amesbury’s departure as well as the wider debate about its early period in government.
By-elections can become judgments on national leadership even when the candidates are competing over local issues. Opposition parties may use them to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the government, while the governing party may argue that one constituency cannot fully represent national public opinion.
The contest also illustrated the importance of turnout. In a close race, relatively small changes in the number of people voting for each candidate can determine the result. Campaign organisation, local campaigning and the ability to motivate supporters can prove decisive.
The final count demonstrated just how narrow the contest had become. After recounts, Pochin was declared the winner by six votes, securing a result that immediately became a landmark for Reform UK. <Cite refs={[“turn881427search4″,”turn881427search6”]}/>
A historic result for Reform UK
Pochin’s victory gave Reform its first parliamentary by-election gain and marked a major moment for Farage’s party. The result showed that Reform could win a seat previously held by Labour, although the six-vote margin also underlined how finely balanced the contest had been.
The result was not evidence that every constituency would follow the same pattern. By-election outcomes depend on local circumstances, candidate quality, turnout and the broader political climate. Nevertheless, it demonstrated that Reform could convert support into a Westminster seat under the right conditions.
For Labour, the defeat raised questions about its ability to maintain support after winning the 2024 general election. For the Conservatives, it highlighted the challenge of competing with a party that was appealing to some voters on the right.
For Reform, the victory brought new responsibilities. Winning a seat is only the beginning of representing a constituency. Residents expect their MP to respond to individual problems, scrutinise government decisions and make a tangible contribution to local priorities.
Pochin would need to demonstrate that the promises made during the campaign could be translated into parliamentary work and constituency representation.
What the contest revealed about British politics
The Runcorn and Helsby by-election illustrated the fluid nature of British politics. Traditional voting patterns can change, and parties outside the usual governing alternatives can make significant gains when national dissatisfaction intersects with local circumstances.
Reform’s campaign focused on the argument that voters wanted a different kind of political representation. Labour sought to defend its mandate, while the Conservatives attempted to maintain their position amid pressure from a rival party on the right.
The result also showed why every vote matters. A margin of six votes meant that the final outcome was determined by an exceptionally small difference between the two leading candidates.
Pochin’s selection had initially been presented as Reform’s opportunity to challenge Labour. Her eventual victory turned that opportunity into a significant electoral achievement for the party, while leaving all sides with lessons about campaigning, voter engagement and the changing political landscape.
The wider significance of Runcorn and Helsby would ultimately depend on what followed. Reform would need to show that it could deliver effective representation, Labour would need to address the reasons behind its loss, and the Conservatives would need to consider how to respond to the changing competition on the right.
The contest was a reminder that British elections are shaped not only by national headlines but also by local candidates, community concerns and the willingness of voters to reconsider their choices.