Reform UK is main opposition party, Nigel Farage claims after election wins

Farage says his party has overtaken Tories after securing byelection victory, mayoralty and council seats

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Nigel Farage has claimed that Reform UK has overtaken the Conservatives as the main party of opposition after his party narrowly won a byelection, a mayoralty and about two dozen council seats in early results on Friday.

The Reform leader said the results from Runcorn and Helsby, Greater Lincolnshire and a handful of local elections around England showed his party should now be taken seriously as a prospective party of government.