Nigel Farage declared Reform UK as the "real opposition" after a surprise sweep in UK local elections, including a historic by-election win. The right-wing party also captured mayoral and council seats,

Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK won a fifth parliamentary seat, its first post as mayor and many positions on local councils in early election results on Friday which underscored the threat it poses to Britain’s main two political parties.

The upstart Reform UK party has emerged as a serious contender in British politics. The anti-immigrant populist movement has overtaken the main Conservative opposition to jostle with the ruling Labour Party for the lead in opinion polls,