Labour and Reform Battle in Crucial Double By-Election
Labour defends a council seat in Devon's Honiton St Michael's ward while Reform UK seeks to hold a Kirklees council seat in Yorkshire in by-elections overshadowed by Nigel Farage's Clacton campaign.
Labour and Reform UK are set to clash in two crucial by-elections across England this week, as voting takes place alongside the high-profile Clacton parliamentary contest where Nigel Farage seeks to reclaim his seat.
According to George Bunn writing in GB News, the contests in Devon and Yorkshire have been overshadowed by the attention on Farage’s battle, but could prove significant for both parties as they test their electoral strength in very different parts of the country.
In East Devon, Andy Burnham’s Labour is defending a council seat in the Honiton St Michael’s ward following the resignation of former Labour councillor Violet Bonetta. The ward, which covers the southwestern section of the Devon town, currently has two other councillors: Jenny Brown from the Conservatives and Roy Collins from The Liberal Party.
East Devon District Council has operated under no overall control since 2019, governed by a coalition bringing together the Greens, Liberal Democrats and Independent councillors.
At Westminster level, the newly-created Honiton and Sidmouth constituency is held by former Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Richard Foord, who secured the seat at the 2024 General Election with a 6,700 majority over journalist-turned-Conservative MP Simon Jupp.
Candidates Standing in Honiton St Michael’s
- Paul R Carter (Conservative)
- Humphrey Clemens (Reform)
- Jo Fotheringham (Independent)
- Jack T Stacey (Labour)
- John B Taylor (Independent)
- Rhys Wallis (Liberal Democrats)
Meanwhile in Yorkshire, Reform UK faces its own test as it attempts to defend a Kirklees council seat, marking a critical moment for the insurgent party as it seeks to consolidate local electoral gains beyond its parliamentary ambitions.
The dual contests come as both Labour and Reform position themselves as the primary opposition forces in different regions, with Labour dominant in traditional strongholds and Reform challenging establishment parties in areas where voters have grown disillusioned with mainstream politics.
While Farage’s Clacton bid dominates national headlines, these local battles will provide valuable indicators of voter sentiment and party organization strength ahead of future electoral tests.
With information from GB News
