𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A former footballer with more than 300 career appearances in the EFL has been elected as a candidate for Reform UK. Graham Shaw, 58, who played for teams such as Stoke City, Preston North End, Plymouth Argyle and Rochdale, secured a seat on Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council during Thursday’s elections.

The former striker told the BBC he felt voters were willing to “give him a chance” due to their frustration with national politics. Shaw says he has seen Newcastle’s decline first-hand and entered politics to restore civic pride, support local businesses and tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. His election comes as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK made stunning gains across the country, stealing council wards held by Labour for generations.

Mr Farage claimed the elections illustrated a “truly historic shift in British politics”.

Reform took Sunderland from Labour, a council containing Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s Westminster seat.

It also became the second-largest party in Tameside, as Labour lost its majority on Greater Manchester council after an uninterrupted run of 47 years in charge – the area contains the parliamentary constituency of former deputy party leader Angela Rayner.

In Barnsley, Reform ended more than 50 years of Labour rule; in St Helens, Mr Farage’s party took the council by gaining 31 seats as Labour lost 24; and in Leeds, Labour lost control of the council as it lost 10 seats and Reform gained 8.

Mr Farage said: “We have absolutely torn the most massive historic chunk out of the Labour vote in the north of England.”

The BBC’s projected national share indicated that if the whole of Great Britain had a vote, Reform UK would have secured a 26% share, with the Greens on 18%, Conservatives on 17%, Labour also on 17%, and the Liberal Democrats on 16%.

Sir Keir Starmer, whose position was already weakened by Labour’s plummeting poll ratings, acknowledged his Government had made “unnecessary mistakes” in office but added: “I’m not going to walk away and plunge the country into chaos.”

He said: “The results are tough, they are very tough, and there’s no sugar-coating it.”

He insisted “I take responsibility” but “tough days like this, they don’t weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised at the General Election – they strengthen my resolve to do so”.