Reform UK could take control of half of the councils in the crunch ballots
Nigel Farage could lead Reform UK to sweeping gains (Image: Getty)
Reform UK is on course for a huge victory at next month’s local elections, a new mega poll suggests. Nigel Farage‘s insurgent party would take control of 69 English councils – half of those up for grabs – at the higher end of the predicted results, or 56 at the lower end.
Labour is facing a drubbing and could be left with just 42 town halls in the May ballots, according to polling of more than 6,000 people by JL Partners. Sir Keir Starmer‘s party is also set to be ousted in Wales for the first time in history in what would be a devastating blow.
The survey puts Plaid Cymru as the largest party in the Senedd with 33 seats, Reform in second place on 29 and Labour third with 17.
Meanwhile, the Tories would lose Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk to Reform, and finish second or third behind either Mr Farage’s party or the Lib Dems in East Sussex, West Sussex and Hampshire.
James Johnson, the co-founder of JL Partners, told The Telegraph: “If these results come to pass, we will be looking at a major political earthquake across Britain.
“It could be the worst local election ever for Labour in England, a collapse for the Conservatives in their historic Blue Wall heartlands, and a brutal third place for Starmer’s party in Wales.
“One cannot overstate how seismic that result in Wales would be – it is a place that has stayed Labour even in the party’s darkest days. Plaid Cymru, the SNP, and the Greens are all contributing to this, but it is Reform that looks set to be the real story, potentially moving into opposition in Wales and securing England councils across the country.
“People who have been claiming Reform’s momentum has slowed may look very foolish indeed after these local elections take place.”
The poll suggests that Labour will remain the largest party in London with control of 19 boroughs.
The Left-wing Green Party would take just two boroughs in the capital despite a surge in popularity under leader Zack Polanski.
It comes as Reform is consistently leading national opinion polls, while the Prime Minister is facing mounting questions over whether he will be forced out of 10 Downing Street after the ballots.