Reform UK is preparing to take the battle to Labour in this week's local by-elections, which mark Keir Starmer's final ones as Prime Minister.

Labour finds itself defending seats in Breckland, Peterborough, Rushmoor and Stafford this week, facing competition from Reform candidates, as public opinion on Kemi Badenoch's Conservative Party also begins to rise.

Meanwhile, Reform is fighting to defend seats in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk in a bid to restore the party's prowess in the polls after a recent blow amid the Parliamentary Standards investigation into Nigel Farage's finances.

Residents of each of the eight regions will head to the polls tomorrow (Thursday, July 16).

A by-election is due to unfold on Breckland Council – called after councillor Sarah Taylor's retirement last month, which saw her forfeit her role for Dereham Toftwood ward, and her position as Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner.

Ms Taylor left the council as an independent after quitting Labour at the end of last year, shortly after the party announced plans to scrap the PCC role in 2028.

Given her mandate upon election, it is Labour that finds itself defending the seat on the Tory-led council, with the Conservatives holding 28 seats to Labour's nine.

The region is also represented by the Conservatives in Parliament, with George Freeman MP serving the Norfolk constituency.

Cambridgeshire Council faces a by-election this week after Reform councillor James Sidlow resigned in May after a year representing the Ramsey and Bury ward.

Mr Sidlow sat on the children and young people committee, and while his departure leaves Reform with seven councillors, it is still the third-largest party on the authority.

Reform defends the seat, with the Liberal Democrat group and the Independent group on the council forming a joint group called the "Liberal Democrat and Independent" group, with a total of 33 members.

In Westminster, the region is represented by Labour MP Sam Carling, for North West Cambridgeshire, who was elected in July 2024 to become the youngest serving MP, and first ever to be born in the 21st century.

Cherwell residents go to the polls this week after the resignation of councillor Dorothy Walker, opening a vacancy in the Kidlington West ward.

The Liberal Democrats are defending here, who control the council with 19 elected members, among a distribution of representation for each major party.

The Liberal Democrats also hold power in Westminster for the region, with Calum Miller serving as the MP for Bicester and Woodstock since July 2024, as well as being the Foreign Affairs Spokesman for the party.

A heated by-election in Norfolk comes after Reform councillor Mark Tucker, voted onto Norfolk Council on May 7, has stepped down citing health grounds.

The Old Catton councillor had only attended one single council meeting held since the election, and left his post after a mere 25 days after he was elected.

Reform is now defending the seat, with Mr Tucker's resignation reducing the number of councillors on the Reform UK group - which runs County Hall as a minority administration - to 39.

The region is represented by Alice Macdonald, Labour MP for the Norwich North constituency, which covers Old Catton.

A by-election comes to Peterborough after the resignation of Labour councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, who was elected two years ago while preparing to sit her A-levels.

She joined Labour aged 14 and was just 18 when she was elected in the May 2024 elections - having now resigned and claiming she "witnessed a culture where power can too easily go unchecked".

Labour defends the vacant seat, holding the advantage of a minority leadership of the authority - but facing competition from other parties looking to bolster their ranks.

Labour MP Andrew Pakes has served for the Peterborough constituency since 2024.

The by-election in Rushmoor comes after Labour councillor Alex Crawford stepped down from his position in early June 2026 due to health issues.

The long-serving member represented the Wellington ward in Aldershot, Hampshire, for more than 50 years.

Labour defends the seat and operates the council here with 17 elected members, compared to the Tories' 10 and Reform's six.

Alex Baker has served as the Labour MP for Aldershot since 2024, which encompasses Wellington ward.

The death of former Staffordshire Council leader Roger Lees BEM aged 82 sparked the by-election in South Staffordshire.

Having led the council from 2021 to 2024, Tory councillor Lees had been in local government for 35 years, and was named among the 2024 New Year’s Honours List and awarded the British Empire Medal.

The Conservatives have the job of defending this seat, dominating the council with 27 of the total 40 seats.

The party also has a stake in Westminster, with Mike Wood serving as the Member of Parliament for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire since July 2024.

A by-election will be held for a seat on Stafford Council following the death of councillor Angela Loughran in April.

The Labour representative was elected as a councillor in 1997, representing Manor ward and serving as mayor in 2013.

Labour is defending the seat in a tight race with their Conservative peers, with both parties holding a large stake in Stafford Council with 15 and 11 members respectively.

As a Labour stronghold, the party's Leigh Ingham MP has represented the Stafford constituency since 2024.