Liberal Democrats Gain Seats as Reform UK Takes Control of Hull Council

Liberal Democrats recorded net gains of 153 councillors in England and increased their seats in the Scottish Parliament to 10. The party won outright control of Stockport and Portsmouth councils. It also took two new councils in south-east England, East and West Surrey, and now holds every seat on both Sutton and Richmond-upon-Thames councils in south-west London.

Reform UK achieved larger gains than the Liberal Democrats in several areas and contributed to the loss of Hull council control for the Liberal Democrats. In Hampshire, the Liberal Democrats won nine additional seats but larger gains by Reform UK left the authority with no party in overall control. The Green Party of England and Wales also recorded larger surges than the Liberal Democrats.

Sir Ed Davey said the results reflected a broader fragmentation in British politics after the collapse in support for both Labour and the Conservatives. He told reporters that as the populist parties on the extremes of left and right become more exposed, voters would realise their policies were either pipe dreams or the politics of division.

Davey said many people had voted for moderate change and he intended to champion that approach.

" He added he would be "extraordinarily surprised" if any Liberal Democrat councillors decided to work with Reform UK in areas left with no overall control. Davey insisted the Liberal Democrats had recorded net gains for the eighth consecutive year in English council elections.

He described the result in Scotland as the party's best in nearly 20 years. The Liberal Democrats took Edinburgh Northern and Strathkelvin as well as Bearsden from the SNP and overturned a large SNP majority in another constituency.

In Wales, Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds retained her seat in the Senedd but remains the party's only representative there. The party suffered a surprise loss in its traditional stronghold of Shetland to the SNP.

Davey said: "There's no doubt that British politics is in flux, the old two parties have failed, people looking for change." He added: "I think the option for British people is the change of the populist parties on the extremes of left and right - Reform and the Greens - or change that is true to British values from the Liberal Democrats."