Reform is set to take control of Doncaster, where Energy Security Ed Miliband is an MP, from Labour at the local elections in May, according to a recent poll.
The poll, conducted by Electoral Calculus for The Telegraph, predicts that Reform will take control of eight councils in less than seven weeks’ time, with the Conservatives holding ten and the Liberal Democrats with five.
Doncaster, the only council being contested currently in Labour hands, looks set to be lost to Nigel Farage’s party, with Reform forecast to take as many as 12 wards and secure an overall majority on the council.
Two members of the Cabinet, Ed Miliband and Defence Secretary John Healey, represent seats in Doncaster in Parliament.
County Durham, a former Labour stronghold, is also set to be won by Reform when voters go to the polls, with Reform also anticipated to do well in southern wards of Northumberland.
The Conservatives are also anticipated to lose several councils to Reform, including Kent and Derbyshire.
READ MORE: One in ten Labour voters to back Reform in Runcorn by-election, poll claims
Despite Labour’s relatively poor performance at the local elections in 2021, when the majority of seats up for election were last contested, the party is forecast to secure only 20% of the vote, down from 29% four years ago.
The Conservatives are predicted to win 26% of the vote, with Reform on 25%, the Liberal Democrats on 16%, the Green Party on 6% and others on 7%.
The poll forecasts Labour to win 252 council seats, placing fourth behind the Conservatives (548), Reform (474) and the Liberal Democrats (270).
Martin Baxter, founder of Electoral Calculus, said: “Our local election poll shows that the Conservatives are likely to make significant losses compared to their strong performance back in 2021.
“Reform UK look like the main gainers as they could take control of eight councils to gain their first real power-base in local government. But the large-scale delays to elections, affecting over five and a half million voters, will soften the scale of Conservative losses and reduce Reform’s gains.”
The poll of 5,421 people was conducted between March 1-10, living in areas scheduled to have local elections this year.
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