Reform are wiping out the Conservatives as results come in across the country and Nigel Farage’s party takes control of one council after another. A jubilant Mr Farage declared: "This is Reform-quake!" Reform was already celebrating this morning after narrowly winning the Runcorn and Selsby by-election, and the election for Greater Lincolnshire Mayor. But as council votes were counted, Reform UK enjoyed one stunning victory after another.

Nigel Farage said: “We now are the opposition to the Labour Party in the country.” And he called the results “an historic landmark”. He said voters had backed Reform because “they want change” - and ruled out doing a deal with the Conservatives.

Reform UK took control of Lancashire, winning the 43 seats needed for a majority on the county council.

The Conservatives previously controlled the council with 46 seats ahead of Labour on 27, while Reform had just two.

Reform UK has also taken control of Nottinghamshire after winning the 34 seats needed for a majority on the county council.

Conservatives were previously the biggest party on the council with 33 seats, with 17 independents and Labour 13.

And Reform UK took control of Derbyshire, after winning more than the 33 seats needed for a majority.

Conservatives previously had 40 seats in Derbyshire, with Labour on 15.

Reform is also on course to take control of Kent County Council after winning 29 of the first 42 seats on the council to be declared.

It meant the party needed another 13 seats to take control of the county where Nigel Farage was born, and which has 81 seats.

The results are a triumphs for Reform leader Nigel Farage and a disaster for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.

Labour lost seats to Reform including in its red wall stronghold of County Durham. But Conservatives were the biggest victims, as Reform took control of previously true-blue Staffordshire as well as Lincolnshire, previously Tory-run where the council vote was separate to the mayor vote.

Tories previously had 57 out of the 81 council seats in Kent, far more than another party as Labour was in second place with just six.

With final results in from five county councils, Devon, Durham, Northumberland, Staffordshire and Worcestershire, Reform UK had gained 175 seats, with Conservatives losing 124 and Labour 72.

The Liberal Democrats were up 17 seats and Greens up nine, while independents were down 31.

The Conservatives had lost control of three of the five councils, with Reform now in a majority in two, and the other three under no overall control.