Runcorn by-election goes to the wire - as Labour wins mayoral contests

Ballots are being recounted in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election with Reform just four votes ahead of Labour.

Despite winning the seat with a majority of nearly 14,700 in 2024, Labour face a battle to retain it after the resignation of former MP Mike Amesbury following his conviction for punching a constituent. Betting odds had Reform ahead of the incumbent party in the by-election, and government parties tend to do poorly in by-elections.

Politics latest: Follow the results live Posting on X, Reform party leader Nigel Farage said: "Reform UK have won the Runcorn & Helsby by-election by 4 votes! "Labour have demanded a recount. We are very confident we have won." Elsewhere, more than 1,600 council seats are up for grabs across 23 local authorities, while four regional mayors and two local mayors are being elected.

In the first result of the night, Labour held on to the North Tyneside mayoralty by just 444 votes. Reform's Arron Banks was left disappointed as he finished almost 6,000 votes behind Labour's Helen Godwin in the race for the West of England mayoralty.

Just minutes after the result was declared, Labour held another seat as Doncaster mayor Ros Jones clung on to beat Reform by just 698 votes. Three other mayoralties are also up grabs: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Lincolnshire, and Hull and East Yorkshire.

Reform picked up dozens of council seats in the first areas which declared, with the Tories suffering a series of losses Speaking about the by-election and polls more widely, Labour's chair Ellie Reeves said: "These elections were always going to be a challenge, being held largely in areas dominated by the Conservatives, often for decades." She added: "However the results turn out this evening, this Labour government will go further and faster in turning our country around and giving Britain the future it deserves." A Reform UK spokesperson said: "We have fought a strong campaign. The two major parties are more fearful of the results tonight than we are." Sky News interviews party leaders:Sir Keir StarmerKemi BadenochNigel FarageSir Ed DaveyCarla Denyer Torrid for the Tories? Because of the way local elections work, there were a large number of Conservative councillors up for election, compared to the other parties.

With their favourability ratings still low, it is likely many will lose their seats. However, they are pinning their hopes on Labour doing badly, with murmurings of disquiet about Ms Badenoch's leadership.

A Conservative spokesperson said: "Tonight will be the first real test of Keir Starmer's Labour government, ten months after they won an unprecedented majority at the general election. "The Conservatives have started on the process of renewing our party under Kemi Badenoch's leadership.

But we also have always been clear that these would be tough elections for the party - defending an incredibly high watermark from 2021 when we took two-thirds of all seats. "If the 2024 general election was replicated on today's battleground, we would lose control of almost every single council." According to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, the party is expecting "big gains" off the Tories in the Conservative's "former middle England heartlands".

The Greens are also anticipating a good set of elections.. Join Sky News presenter Jonathan Samuels and deputy political editor Sam Coates to follow the results.

Lead politics presenter Sophy Ridge, political editor Beth Rigby, and data and economics editor Ed Conway will take over on Friday morning to report and explain what has happened..