Reform UK leader Richard Tice. Photo credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire | Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

placeholder image — Reform UK leader Richard Tice. Photo credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire | Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Reform UK has lapped up results in Sunderland - despite losing its only councillor in the city.

The right-leaning party, which claims it offers ‘common sense policies on immigration, the cost of living, energy and national sovereignty’, claimed more votes than the Conservatives in 16 of Sunderland’s 25 seats.

The party is seen as a major threat to the Conservatives share of the vote at the General Election, which is expected to be called in the autumn.

Reform failed to make a significant dent in Sunderland Tory strongholds such as St Michael’s and Fulwell, but still cost the Tories in some key battlegrounds.

For example, in the traditionally strong Conservative seat of Barnes, the Tories polled 1019 to Labour’s 1191.

Reform claimed 415 votes in the ward, which may well have otherwise gone to the Conservatives.

Sunderland was one of a few places where Reform fought every seat.

The party’s national leader Richard Tice hailed Reform’s success as the first results came in for Wearside.

However, shortly afterwards, Sunderand’s only Reform councillor, Paul Donaghy, lost his Washington South seat to Labour.

Paul Donaghy (centre) of Reform UK. Picture c/o North News.

Mr Donaghy is also Reform’s candidate for North East Mayor. The results of the mayoral election are due early Friday afternoon.

“Outstanding early results in Sunderland,” said Mr Tice. “We expect to beat Tories in majority of 25 seats in Sunderland.”

The results in Sunderland clearly did not go unnoticed by senior Conservatives nationally, with some warning traditional Tory voters of the perils of straying to Reform.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the results in Sunderland showed “if you vote Reform, you get Labour”.

“It’s a very straightforward equation for people at the next General Election,” he said in a BBC interview.

“If they want to vote Reform, they’ll end up with Labour MPs, and they’ll end up with a Labour government, and then they’ll end up, probably, with everything they didn’t want to vote for based on the profile of Reform voters.”