Labour has lost control of Tamworth Borough Council following a triumphant night for Reform UK, as voters delivered a clear message of change. In a sign of an emerging political pattern, Reform UK secured a clean sweep in Tamworth, winning every seat that was up for election.
This outcome resulted in Labour losing their grip on the Staffordshire town. However, because only a third of the council was up for election, Labour remains the largest party in Tamworth. But Reform UK is now close behind, leaving the authority in a state of no overall control.
This situation creates uncertainty about what happens next and how decisions will be made. Reform UK did not have a single councillor until a few weeks ago but now boasts 10 councillors and has become the main opposition party after winning all nine seats that were contested.
Labour and the Conservatives each lost one seat. The Conservative Party, which controlled Tamworth for much of the 20th century, failed to win a single seat and now has only three councillors on the borough council.
Reform UK councillor Paul Turner told the BBC: "I think it's the right time for the country to stand up and say the old guard has had their time and it's time for change. And I'm really looking forward to that opportunity."
The biggest upset of the night saw Sarah Daniels, who had previously been the portfolio holder for cooperative council, community partnerships and antisocial behaviour, dramatically lose her Bolehall seat. Exactly 668 votes separated her from the Reform UK winner, Dylan Powis.
Hayley Coles, deputy leader of Staffordshire County Council and the newly elected councillor for Amington, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I think it's an excellent result; basically, people in Tamworth want change like they do across the country. Things are changing, and with Nigel Farage at the top, who is saying what people want to hear, answering questions and is very straightforward."
Once all results had been declared, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice came to celebrate. He said: "We're absolutely delighted; one of the earliest results that has been concluded, it's brilliant for those nine councillors elected here in Tamworth."
