And they came a close third to the conservatives. Heres the result their candidate came in just 117 votes behind their conservative rival securing 17 of the vote. I spoke to the leader of reform uk richard tice and asked him if he was pleased with the result or frustrated not to have done better. It would have been great, but nevertheless, we are delighted with 17 , its above our National Polling average, our best by election result, and what it shows actually, with great local candidates, more and more people are hearing about reform uk and they like the message they hear, and everybody knew labour would win this but if you look at the collapse in the tory vote, they went from 50 down to 17 . This is a seismic shift. What about the idea for voters that actually you did very well Given National vote share and the things you mentioned, nobody will dispute that, but its still nowhere near actually winning a seat, so what does that say to voters in the area . That says we have the wrong Electoral System in this country because it is patiently unfair, if you are getting 17 because it is patently unfair, if you are getting 17 of votes across the country, but because of our system you cant get any seats, that shows democracy isnt working. Thats why most western nations have some Proportional Representation. The irony is that tories are collapsing so fast, soon they will be begging for Proportional Representation to stop the annihilation of the tory party, so wouldnt that be a thing . Electoral reform has been high on the agenda but no such shift in the offing. Lets talk about, away from blackpool south, the rest of the evening. What is your assessment of reform uks performance . The first votes out were actually in the north east, and we beat the tories in 16 of 25 awards. The tories in 16 of 25 wards. Significantly outperforming our National Polling share. We are delighted, weve got some very important mayoral results being counted, again in the north east, manchester, and we could surprise people on the upside. One thing becoming rapidly cleared as basically, as more people hear about reform uk, we are becoming the real opposition to the labour party in the north, the midlands, wales, we are on the way up. Its clear the tories on the way down. Lets speak to the shadow home secretary, yvette cooper. Soa so a good day for labour today, i want to put to you that Pressjohn Curtis projected national share, 35 of the vote for labour, labour, thats not too far forward, are you concerned with that . In thats not too far forward, are you concerned with that . Concerned with that . In the one parliamentary concerned with that . In the one parliamentary seat concerned with that . In the one parliamentary seat up concerned with that . In the one | parliamentary seat up yesterday concerned with that . In the one i parliamentary seat up yesterday in blackpool, we had a huge swing to labour, and 26 from the conservatives to the mac, thats the sixth by election we have one with more than 20 swing, so we are clearly really pleased by that and i think that shows really the depth of frustration and anger that there is with this conservative government that does feel like its clinging on by its fingernails at the moment. Weve also found that the areas where we have had big increases in the labour vote, also ones that really matter as well for future elections for the future General Elections for the future General Election for particularly parliamentary seats. Of course its the case in local elections that you get far more different local candidates for smaller areas, smaller wards, other parties that will stand as well when it comes to the General Election fundamentally its a choice between conservative government and a labour government, and thats the choice that weve seen people exercising in the black fool by election and the other by elections that weve had. He mentioned elections that weve had. He mentioned the impact on smaller parties there. Reform uk taking votes, it seems, from conservatives. So are you thankful for the role of reform uk is playing . I so are you thankful for the role of reform uk is playing . So are you thankful for the role of reform uk is playing . I think youve not Eole Reform Uk is playing . I think youve got peeple in reform uk is playing . I think youve got peeple in lots reform uk is playing . I think youve got people in lots of reform uk is playing . I think youve got people in lots of different got people in lots of different areas wanting to vote for change and the thing i would say the in the end, the only party that can change with the government does and what actually happens, a change of government, is the labour party. Whether thats additional we got in rushmore, the home of the british army in the south or in North Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire mayor and rishi sunak� s back yard here in the north, those of the sort of results in the end in a General Election that is the choice people will face. Do we have five more years of rishi sunak and this conservative chaos . Or do we get the change that we need. To give britain its feature back with a labour government. We its feature back with a labour government. Its feature back with a labour government. ~. ,. ,. , government. We want to ask you about one issue that government. We want to ask you about one issue that has government. We want to ask you about one issue that has come government. We want to ask you about one issue that has come up one issue that has come up repeatedly, is Notjust Oldham but theissue repeatedly, is Notjust Oldham but the issue of the war in gaza. They have a stance in that and that impacts people going out to vote. Gaza has been an issue, says your colleague wes streeting, how big an issue . ,. , , colleague wes streeting, how big an issue . ,. ,. , colleague wes streeting, how big an issue . ,. ,. , issue . This has been an issue in some communities, issue . This has been an issue in some communities, it issue . This has been an issue in some communities, it has issue . This has been an issue in | some communities, it has varied issue . This has been an issue in i some communities, it has varied in different areas across the country and there have also been other factors involved, sometimes on the Local Council factors involved we recognise that. But we strongly recommend recognise there are areas where weve had independent candidates campaigning on gaza and where there is really strong feeling about this issue because tens of thousands of people have been killed, and itsjust devastating thousands of people have been killed, and its just devastating to see whats happening. Its why we need an immediate cease fire, and the hostages to be released and why we hope that some progress will be made in the negotiations. But we do recognise the strength of feeling there is and of course we will continue to work just there is and of course we will continue to workjust as we do in every area across the country, to earn votes back in future. But are ou earn votes back in future. But are you accepting earn votes back in future. But are you accepting that earn votes back in future. But are you accepting that come earn votes back in future. But are you accepting that come the earn votes back in future. But are i you accepting that come the General Election, you will be losing votes in some communities because of the position of the party on the war in gaza . In position of the party on the war in gaza . ,. Position of the party on the war in gaza . ,. , position of the party on the war in gaza . ,. Y. ,. ,. , 4 position of the party on the war in gaza . I. ,. ,. , gaza . In fact, if you look at areas for example gaza . In fact, if you look at areas for example in gaza . In fact, if you look at areas for example in rochdale gaza . In fact, if you look at areas for example in rochdale where i gaza . In fact, if you look at areas | for example in rochdale where we had theissues for example in rochdale where we had the issues in the by election, actually, that hasnt been replicated in the local elections in the same way, and i think weve also got things right across the country where we are seeing support for labour has been growing and in a way Thatis Labour has been growing and in a way that is really important, milton keynes, stephen edge, in areas right across the country, police and Crime Commissions as well, cumbria, somerset, norfolk, areas you wouldnt expect to see labour performing so strongly and yet weve been Winning Police and crime commissioner elections today, thats really important. So what were going to keep doing is working, we know the labour party has changed in a short period of time since the last election, under keir starmer� s leadership and we still got work to do that well keep doing because theres no complacency in the labour party because change is so important. I party because change is so Important Party because change is so imortant. ,. ,. ,. , important. I spoke to one former conservative important. I spoke to one former conservative council important. I spoke to one former conservative council leader, i important. I spoke to one former i conservative council leader, saying he could see in his area this was without doubt a rejection of the conservative party but thats not the same thing as an endorsement of the same thing as an endorsement of the labour party, votersjust the same thing as an endorsement of the labour party, voters just voting against the conservatives. There the labour party, votersjust voting against the conservatives. Against the conservatives. There is no doubt that against the conservatives. There is no doubt that people against the conservatives. There is no doubt that people are against the conservatives. There is no doubt that people are fed i against the conservatives. There is no doubt that people are fed up i against the conservatives. There is i no doubt that people are fed up with the chaos weve seen from the conservatives and the damage they are continuing to do clinging on by theirfingernails. Thats are continuing to do clinging on by their fingernails. Thats why i think we need General Election now but its also why labour is continuing to argue, the things i think really matter to people about The Cost Of Living Chris is the need to get the economy going, the need to get the economy going, the need to turn around the crisis National Health service and on policing its to get more Neighbourhood Police back on the beat and thats what weve been talking about in the police and crime commissioner elections in every corner of the country as well and why we are seeing i think the country as well and why we are seeing i think those successes, because of the actual issues that labour was campaigning, tees valley was one by conservative ben houchin, thats an area that labour have really got to be winning to win big in the next General Election, havent they . And they didnt do that. We did Campaign Strongly and we saw a 17 swing from the conservatives to labour, and the mayoral elections there are other factors in particular individuals as well, i did see the reports earlier that had at rishi sunak claiming that had at rishi sunak claiming that somehow this resulted in tees valley within a 70 swing from conservatives to labour, was somehow a great result for the conservative party. If you think thats an endorsement of his government, he is even more out of touch that i thought, because actually, what were seeing right across the country is deep frustration with the government and the demand for change. Government and the demand for chance. ,. , government and the demand for chance. ,. ,. , government and the demand for chance. ,. , i. Government and the demand for chance. , change. Yvette cooper, thank you so much for coming change. Yvette cooper, thank you so much for coming on change. Yvette cooper, thank you so much for coming on the change. Yvette cooper, thank you so much for coming on the programme. Thank you. Putting the governments Point Of View this morning was the chief secretary to the treasury, laura trott, the mp for sevenoaks in kent. I asked her to sum up the overnight results. I mean, obviously this was a disappointing result. Their work, as you will know, a very specific local circumstances for this by election. And its unsurprising given the circumstances in which the mp stood down. But a 26 swing, the third swing since world war ii. This is a record rejection of the conservative party to the labour party. Yeah, there was also a lot of people voting for reform in this by election. I think what we have seen here just shows that actually a vote for reform is a vote for Keir Starmers labour party. Lets talk about reform. They nearly beat the conservatives. There are only 100 odd votes in it. Yeah, absolutely, and as i said what this shows very, very clearly is that if you vote for reform, you are voting for the labour party. A labour party who will not act to control illegal migration. They have no plan for our country and will take us backwards in terms of the economic progress that we are making. Why do you think people are voting to why do you think people are Voting Reform rather than Voting Conservative . As i said, this is a very specific circumstance in this b election. You will know that as i said previously that the mp stood away from that by election in across the rest of the results in pretty much every seat that reform stood, they took votes from the conservative party. Why are people Voting Reform rather than conservative . As we discussed earlier, local elections are often very difficult for incumbent governments. People want to send incumbent governments a message, and we know its been a really difficult year for people. Inflation has been very high. Thats with a very high cost of living pressures, but what i would say to people at home is that the economy is starting to turn a corner. Inflation is down, real wages are up. We have got things coming in like the Childcare Offer which is already been taken up by 200,000 families. We have got the rwanda vote, which isjust been passed and which means it claims to start taking off soon. So things are really starting to get brighter. For the greens, there were gains in the number of councillors. I asked the partys co leader for england and wales, adrian ramsay, how pleased he was by what hed seen. Its been above my expectations so far. Weve had an excellent night and we are on track for a fifth election in a row to get a Record Number of green counsellors elected right across the country, and it is that National Performance thats particularly encouraging for me. Weve made breakthroughs, winning ourfirst weve made breakthroughs, winning our first counsellors in places like newcastle, sefton and rich, weve added to our Counsellor Numbers in all corners of england, places like exeter, peterborough, south tyneside, and what weve shown yet again is that right across the country in urban areas, and rural, winning seats from labour in the conservatives, greens are really a National Force winning seats in local government and all corners of the country and people know that if they want change and they want to vote positively through Hard Working Green whos going to represent their society for a grainy future, they can get that by Voting Greene and the local elections and when it comes to the General Election as well. ,. , well. You stretched there to the reneral well. You stretched there to the General Election well. You stretched there to the General Election but well. You stretched there to the General Election but you. I well. You stretched there to the L General Election but you. Across the country will it . General election but you. Across the country will it . The country will it . Weve got the excellent foundations the country will it . Weve got the excellent foundations for the country will it . Weve got the excellent foundations for now, i the country will it . Weve got the excellent foundations for now, is | the country will it . Weve got the l excellent foundations for now, is to build our support in those parts of the country where we have the best chance of gaining greene and peace. If you look at herefordshire, like bristol, east anglia where im based, the seats in those places, we have a big concentration of greene counsellors, we are now the main opposition to the incumbent and people can see if they want a change, they want to have a Strong Greene advocate notjust in their community and a Strong Greene. In National Polls we are expecting a change of government and people clearly want there to be a change, but do we want labour to have a huge majority and do whatever it wants . Or would it be betterfor democracy to have more of a big diversity of voices in parliament, including greene mps there to speak up on the biggest issues of our time, on the breakdown of our climate and nature. Being really stretch and needing the funding that greens are willing to put in, we need those gree