The party’s number on Breckland Council has increased to five after Grahame Middleton triumphed in the race for Thetford’s Castle division.
The vote was triggered after the resignation of Labour’s Hazel McCambridge, who stepped down at the end of July, having been elected in May 2023.
Mr Middleton was elected with 512 votes, 223 ahead of second-placed Labour candidate Elizabeth Bernard.
Conservative candidate Jane James, the Conservative county councillor for Thetford East, who used to be the Breckland councillor for Thetford Castle until she lost her seat in 2023, finished third with 164 votes.
Liberal Democrat Ian Minto garnered 118, while there was an overall turnout of 24.9p.
Grahame Middleton (left) is congratulated by Breckland Reform UK group leader Robin Hunter-Clarke (right)(Image: Reform UK)
Robin Hunter-Clarke, leader of the Reform UK group on Breckland Council, who defected from the Conservatives in January, said it was a “stunning result”.
He said: “I’m very pleased to welcome Grahame to our group at Breckland Council.
“Reform has won every by-election this year at Breckland and this now takes us up to a group of five.
“This stunning result is significant as it is a gain in a strong Labour ward. This now proves that Reform can win anywhere.”
Reform UK won its first Norfolk by-election in February, when Scott Hussey was victorious in Breckland’s Bedingfield district.
The latest result means that the political make-up of Tory-controlled Breckland Council is now: Conservatives (28), Labour (10), Reform UK (5), Independent/Green group (4) and Independents (2).
This year also saw Reform UK take its first seats at Norfolk County Council.
Two by-elections – in Thetford West and Marshland North – saw David Bick and Julian Kirk win seats at County Hall.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party currently has four MPs in Parliament and describes itself as the “UK’s fastest growing political movement”.
