Greens plunge below Tories and Reform in crushing by-election defeat as Labour struggles to make gains

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Green Party leader Zack Polanski's personal approval ratings and popularity have fallen sharply after a series of high-profile controversies

The Green Party has fallen below the Tories and Reform in a crushing by-election on the Charnwood Borough Council.

Nigel Farage's Party also swept out the Conservatives in local MP Robert Jenrick's backyard, Bassetlaw District Council.

Labour struggled to make gains but clawed back a seat from the struggling Green Party in Sheffield.

The SNP won in South Lanarkshire as Your Party fielded its first candidate in a Scottish election, gaining just 45 votes in total.

They include inaccurate criticism of the Metropolitan Police over a knife attack in Golders Green, a refusal to formally apologise after sharing an image featuring a "guillotine" t-shirt aimed at Mr Farage, and ongoing internal criticism of his divisive, "terminally online" behaviour.

According to YouGov, negative public opinion of Mr Polanski doubled compared with positive views during key disputes, pulling the Green Party's overall net approval to historic lows after an initial post-leadership election surge.

GB News has taken a look at the results from the four by-elections across Britain.

Wreake Valley (Charnwood)

The Conservatives seized a seat from the Green Party in Thursday's Wreake Valley ward by-election on Charnwood Borough Council, with Tory candidate James Poland topping the poll on 1,091 votes.

Reform UK's Michael Slade came second with 706 votes, pushing the Green Party's Hamzah Sheikh into a distant third on just 372, a humiliating result for a party that previously held the seat.

The contest saw the Greens fall behind both the Tories and Reform in a ward they had controlled until former group leader Laurie Needham resigned due to health issues.

Mr Poland said voters across the ward, which includes parts of Syston, East Goscote, Queniborough and Cossington, were worried about government plans to extend Leicester's political boundaries through local government reorganisation.

He said: "The government may have paused LGR last week, but people in the villages know it has not gone away."

He also pledged to champion concerns over flooding and overdevelopment, while dismissing Reform's campaign as nationally focused rather than rooted in local priorities.

Labour's Jamie Dyas managed a mere 69 votes, while Liberal Democrat Murray Sinclair trailed the field with 24, and the two parties collected fewer than 100 votes between them.

The result strengthens the Conservatives' position as the largest group on the council with 23 of 52 seats, though no party holds overall control.

Labour currently runs the authority on 20 seats through an arrangement with the Greens, who retain seven councillors.

Reform's Mr Slade said his party is confident it will make breakthroughs in May's full borough elections.

East Markham (Bassetlaw)

Voters in East Markham headed to the polls in an unusually scheduled Tuesday by-election for Bassetlaw District Council.

Yesterday's contest was triggered after Conservative councillor Gary Dinsdale stepped down in July, following criticism over his attendance record; council records showed he attended just two meetings throughout 2026.

The ward encompasses nine parishes spread across a predominantly farming landscape south of Retford in Nottinghamshire.

For more than 20 years, it has comfortably returned Conservative councillors.

But Reform UK swept away the Tories in local MP Robert Jenrick's backyard.

The party secured 49.6 per cent of the vote, sending the Conservatives into freefall with the party losing a staggering 37.6 per cent of its vote share.

Labour already holds overall control of the council, so the outcome will not alter the balance of power.

But Mr Jenrick hailed candidate Matthew Evans's campaign after the result was confirmed.

He said: "An incredible 44 per cent swing from Tory to Reform in Newark. So proud of our candidate, Matthew Evans and my hardworking team. Deeply honoured that my Newark constituents are backing Reform."

Walkley (Sheffield) 

The Green Party were again beaten as Labour reclaimed the Walkley council seat following Thursday's by-election.

Green candidate Seb Van Bilsen Irias received 1,249 votes, falling short of Labour's Hannah Cawley, who secured 2,315 votes.

The contest was triggered after Green councillor Andy Davies stepped down citing mental health reasons despite only having taken the seat from Tom Hunt, Labour's then-leader of the council, at the May elections.

Ms Cawley described herself as "extremely happy" with the outcome in a social media post.

She wrote: "Make no mistakes, this was a collective achievement. No-one ever achieved anything without help and support from other people because quite frankly that's how cooperative societies work. So a very big thank you and I will not let you down."

Reform UK's Andrew John Telford finished third on 541 votes, while the Liberal Democrats gathered 112 and the Conservatives managed just 59.

Isabelle Amy France, standing for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, picked up 56 votes.

Avondale and Stonehouse (South Lanarkshire)

The SNP won the by-election in the Avondale and Stonehouse ward, with councillor Leigh Payne delivering the party a new seat on South Lanarkshire Council.

He topped the poll with 1,025 first preference votes and was declared the winner at stage nine of the single transferable vote count.

The contest was called after the death of Margaret Cooper, who had served as South Lanarkshire's Provost. Cooper held the seat as an Independent and was elected in May 2022.

The result represents a gain for the SNP, which now adds another councillor to its ranks on the local authority.

Labour's Hannah Miller finished second with 743 first preference votes, while Reform UK's George Hobbins placed third on 727.

The Conservative candidate Ade Aibinu received 393 votes, with the Liberal Democrats' David Glennie on 357 and the Greens' Michael Grant collecting 303.

Your Party fielded their inaugural candidate in a Scottish election, Gary Allan, who achieved just 45 votes.

First Minister John Swinney took to social media to praise the result: "Many congratulations to Leigh Payne, the latest SNP Councillor for Avondale and Stonehouse, elected in a by-election tonight. Great news."

The by-election follows Reform UK's council victory in South Lanarkshire's Larkhall ward in July, where Payne had finished as runner-up.

Reform UK MSP for North-East Scotland Mark Simpson wrote on social media: "Solid result for @ReformUKScot. Breaking through from a standing start Bodes well for Scottish Council elections next year."