Reform rocks Isle of Wight as Labour loses Southampton

Reform UK has become the biggest party on the Isle of Wight Council following the local elections.

The party picked up 19 council seats, leaving the island's local authority with no overall majority. Hampshire County Council also has no majority party after the Conservatives lost 29 seats and Reform gained 20.

In Portsmouth, the Lib Dems gained three seats to take control of the city council, which had previously been under no overall control.

Labour lost control of Southampton City Council, losing seven of its seats in the city, including that of council leader Alex Winning, whose Shirley seat went to the Liberal Democrats. The authority is now under no overall control.

The political shift on the Isle of Wight saw most of Reform's gains come from from the Conservatives who lost 16 councillors, leaving them with just two remaining.

The Alliance group of independents who previously ran the council are down to 11 seats. Previous council leader Phil Jordan lost his Ryde North West seat to Reuben Loake of Reform.

Reform's Bill Nigh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he felt "delighted" to regain his Lake North seat and with Reform's result on the Island.

He added: "It symbolises that the old order basically has gone and more forward-looking Islanders are taking account now of national issues as well as local ones."

Although Labour no longer has a majority in Southampton, with 24 seats it is still the largest party and could seek to form an alliance with Green councillors.

The first result from the overnight count was a Green gain from Labour - Luke Reynolds, standing as a councillor for the first time, won the Bargate ward seat from Labour by 37 votes.

He said: "The country wants a different way of running the government, and the country wants a different way of running councils.

"We want to bring communities together again. That's what we're going to do and that's what people want."

Reform won six seats in Southampton.

Area branch chairman Philip Crook, who won Coxford, said: "A lot of people we spoke to were very tired of what's happening with Labour.

"They're just tired of the same old politics and they want new leadership and a new direction for the country."

Southampton Itchen's Labour MP Darren Paffey, who previously served as a councillor in the city, said the results were "reflective of the national picture".

"We are going to need time to reflect on what these results mean locally," he added.

In Portsmouth, Lib Dem leader Steve Pitt described his party's success in the city elections as "a brilliant result" and "a vote of confidence in a hard-working team that really understand how Portsmouth works".

However, he vowed to continue cross-party working, adding: "It's not about the party in control having domination over everything."

The Lib Dems kept every seat they were defending, and gained a further three. Labour lost all of its five seats and Reform gained five.

The Lib Dems also held on to Eastleigh Borough Council.

Conservatives lost a total of 29 seats at Hampshire County Council, while Reform UK gained 20, the Lib Dems gained nine, the Greens gained one and Labour lost two.

Conservative leader Nick Adams-King said that despite the final composition of the council, Hampshire's "significant challenges" must be approached "seriously, constructively and with the best interests of residents at heart" by those elected.

The Conservatives retained control of Fareham, which saw little change - the party lost one seat, Reform gained one, while Lib Dems, Labour and Independents remained the same.

Elsewhere, Hart District Council and Havant remain under no overall control.

The Liberal Democrats are the biggest party in Hart with 13 seats, gaining one from the Conservatives.

In Havant, Reform UK gained seven seats and the Greens gained one, while the Conservatives lost five, Labour lost two and the Lib Dems lost one.

Gosport Borough Council also remained under no overall control with Conservatives and Reform UK now the biggest two parties with 11 and 10 seats, respectively.

Winchester City Council remains under Lib Dem control.

Rushmoor Borough Council stays under no overall control with six seats won for Reform UK, who took four from the Conservatives and two from Labour.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council remains hung after the Conservatives lost five councillors and labour lost two, with four independent representatives picking up seats, two gained for Reform UK and one for the Greens.

Additional reporting by Patrick O'Hagan, Steve Humphrey and LDRS.

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