Well, what about The Locals....
Now the dust has settled the numbers are set and the cards have been dealt what have we really learned?
So, Reform UK has arrived, well, kind of.
Ten councils. Two mayoralties. A parliamentary seat. That’s not nothing. In fact, it’s monumental. A protest party has broken through and grabbed real power. It’s in administration now, and that matters.
But let’s not get misty-eyed. Success isn’t the finish line—it’s the starting pistol for accountability. And frankly, Reform UK looks woefully unprepared for the race.
The Numbers They Can’t Spin
Here’s the truth in black and white:
Reform UK: 30% projected national vote share
Labour: 20%
Conservatives: 15%
In 2021? Tories led with 36%, Labour at 29%, and Reform barely registered. That’s not a swing. That’s an earthquake.
However on the issue of mandates, Reform UK are still left wanting. These results whilst they look monumental, in another light they leave a lot to be desired. Reform UK failed to make any meaningful headway outside of the Brexit territories and these results on the national level would leave Nigel Farage with less of a vote share than Labour received in July last year. The problem here is many believed Starmer doesn’t have a mandate, if that is the case, Nigel would have even less of one.
You can’t have it both ways. Many would have to backtrack massively on this point and honestly, I don’t see that happening.
As I have said since these results became clear three men and a whippet a revolution does not make. Seats are a victory for sure but to claim to have the country off of these results is factually inaccurate.
Reform’s Real Test Begins Now
Let me be blunt: Reform UK doesn’t have a plan.
That’s not a throwaway criticism. It’s a fundamental flaw. The reason for that is they can’t form a real governing strategy because they don’t have a unified vision. They’re still a protest party—and still defined by what they’re against, not what they’re for. That’s fine in opposition. It’s paralysing in power.
The Friday after the election? They fluffed it. They went for a cheap tabloid headline when they should’ve said:
“We’ve got a job to do. Let others talk—we’re here to work.”
For me they blew their first moment to lead the conversation. Once again, they’re letting others define them.
The Conservatives: Still Screaming Into the Void
Over on Planet Tory, the reaction is exactly what you’d expect: chaos dressed as strategy.
Let me be clear from the start Kemi must stay as leader. The party doesn’t need another scalp—it needs a plan. Swapping her out for Robert Jenrick (a.k.a. Nigel Farage Lite) won’t win back trust. It’ll just alienate more voters.
And please, stop with the tired talking point:
“We lost because we weren’t right-wing enough!”
No. You lost because people didn’t trust you and you failed to deliver even the fundamental basics. The party was in chaos and the people chose not chaos. This isn’t difficult to understand, you’re just allowing other people to define the situation rather than the facts.
If the Tories want a future, they need to adopt Kemi’s policy-led, data-driven plan. Clear, measurable goals. Early and easy wins.
Competence is king now, not ideology. If you don’t get that, you haven’t been paying attention for the last 15 years.
Labour’s Not-So-Great Expectations
Let’s cut through the spin: this was a bad night for Labour.
They lost 186 council seats. They lost a key by-election in Runcorn. And they lost narrative control.
What’s important to remember here, is that this particular by election Could be either an anomaly or it could be the last light before the blackout. We don’t know yet. The idea that Labour’s already lost the next general election is fantasy. Nobody knows that and history tells us that the public will judge and punish those who thinks everything is already settled.
What I believe to be more likely is: a reshuffle. Often the last play of a Prime Minister in trouble, a reshuffle and more importantly reshuffle with the big dogs in play could shake things up
However, Starmer won’t be going anywhere, but heads to roll—starting with Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, and Ed Miliband. One, if not all of these are on the chopping block if they survive will be dependent on their own political skill. Reeves and Cooper might hang on, but they’ll need to move fast to stay safe.
Labour’s policy failures are about to be hung around a lot of necks, note none of it will stick to Starmer
Lib Dems: Gains Don’t Equal Gravitas
Sure, the Lib Dems made gains—Shropshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire. Big councils.
But Ed Davey is still a doing roly-poly’s for relevance. Until they ditch him, they’re never going to be a serious national force. Gains or not, this party is still defined more by others failure than substance
Greens: Too Caught Up in the Fringe
The Greens should’ve had a breakout moment. They didn’t.
Why? Because they’ve been captured by the radical pro-Palestine hard left. And it’s turning off moderate voters who are looking for a serious alternative to Labour. Voters who care about climate and cost of living aren’t going to Make the leap to the greens if they continue this fringe radical element. Carla Danya stepping aside is a good sign however it needs a policy as well.
Unlike Reform, the Greens do have policies. But they’re squandering their platform chasing fringe nutcases over electability
The Rise of Sectarian Politics
We need to talk about what slipped through the back door.
Three independents—ex-Labour councillors with anti-Semitic, pro-Islamist views—were elected. This is the real danger of identity politics taken to its extreme.
We must stop this idea that multiculturalism has failed. Multiculturalism hasn’t failed. It’s worked exactly as designed: not to build bridges between cultures, but to erase the native one. That’s the uncomfortable truth. And now with a motivated base that no longer needs the labour party the threat of a Islamist political party in the UK has never been more real and unfortunately it isn’t going away
And no one—not the government, not the media, not the cultural gatekeepers—wants to say it aloud.
Labour’s pandering to a minority group has been emboldened in this fringe and created what I predict to be a monster. As every millennial will point out Frankenstein is the name of the doctor not the monster. The Labour Party never missed that day in school.
What Comes Next
Labour reshuffle incoming
Tory grumblings, but Camden probably survives
Jean gets leashed quietly
Watch the donors—they’ll tell you more than the headlines will
Reform under the microscope, and rightly so
But Reform must learn fast: criticism ≠ persecution. You’re not on the outside anymore. If you want to govern, act like it. Stop whining about coverage and start controlling it.
You’ve got a hook in now. You’ve got councils. And earned platform, you must appoint spokespeople—business, NHS, economy, foreign affairs. Put faces to the portfolios. Be more than Farage.
Final Word: Ask the Hard Questions
Reform’s night was huge. Historic, even.
But victory doesn’t mean immunity from scrutiny. In fact, it demands more of it.
If you’re a Reform voter or member, ask yourself:
Where’s the plan?
Where’s the long-term vision?
Why are we still reacting instead of leading?
This was meant to be the anti–Uni Party. So why does it already feel so familiar?
There’s a future for Reform—but only if it grows up fast. Otherwise, this moment It’ll just be another protest that never became a movement.