Nigel Farage arranged a fireworks display and a party. The prime minister and the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have both written post-mortem articles in Saturday's newspapers. Politicians often accuse journalists of a splash of hyperbole, but it would be a struggle to top the Tory leader's description of her party's results as a "bloodbath."

A recount is under way in the Runcorn & Helsby by-election in north-west England after thousands of voters swung behind Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, threatening to topple Labour in what has long been a party stronghold.

Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist party snatched a critical parliamentary seat from the governing Labour Party.

Reform's Sarah Pochin was declared winner of the seat of Runcorn and Helsby in northwest England by six votes after a recount.

The polls are the first broad test of voter sentiment since last summer’s general election victory by the Labour Party over the Conservatives.