Could the two-party, Labour and Tory-dominated, political system be over?

4th May 2025

Labour's been knocked for six. The Tories face oblivion. And Reform are threatening politics as we know it. Did Thursday represent a political earthquake?.

The 2025 English council elections have seen some dramatic shifts in political control. Reform UK has made significant gains, winning control of multiple councils and securing its first mayoral election in Greater Lincolnshire. The party also won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes, overturning a 14,000-strong Labour majority.

Labour managed to hold onto North Tyneside, Doncaster, and the West of England mayoral elections, while the Conservatives won Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The Liberal Democrats also saw success, gaining control of Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, and Shropshire councils.

The 2025 council election results reflect a political realignment that breaks with the trends of previous cycles. In past elections—most notably in 2021—the local landscape was dominated by traditional powerhouses, with well-established Conservative and Labour strongholds. Voter loyalties appeared relatively stable, and there was a clear two-party dynamic. By contrast, this cycle introduces a surge of multi‐party competition that has redrawn the local map.

One striking difference is the meteoric rise of Reform UK. Historically absent from local government or holding a very limited presence, Reform UK now commands 677 seats across England and has assumed majority control in 10 councils. In previous elections, such a sweep by a single small party would have been unimaginable. This marks not only a pivot in public sentiment but also a rejection of the entrenched party system in favor of alternatives that promise change and local accountability .

In parallel, the Conservatives have witnessed an unprecedented collapse in their local support. In areas where they were once reliably dominant—for example, in Devon, Warwickshire, Lancashire, and Kent—their councillor numbers have plummeted dramatically, with losses often exceeding two-thirds of their previous figures. Even Labour, which might have been expected to capitalize on local dissatisfaction, ended up losing significant ground—most notably in council strongholds like Doncaster.

The stark contrast between the 2021 results and those of 2025 underscores a broader voter desire for fresh alternatives and a fragmented political environment that no longer favours the past two-party system.

In essence, compared to past council elections, the 2025 outcomes highlight a decisive shift. Voters now seem to be prioritizing local representation over traditional party loyalties, favouring new voices over the established order.

This change not only disrupts long-standing patterns but also may signal potential transformations in national politics, as the momentum of local discontent and the appeal for diverse representation grow stronger.