Reform win by-election in Southey ward in Sheffield as Labour come second – thestar.co.uk
Reform UK has won the Southey ward by-election in Sheffield, with Labour finishing second. The result reinforces Reform’s recent strength in the ward and gives the party another councillor on Sheffield City Council.
The contest filled a vacancy created by the resignation of former Labour and then independent councillor Gareth Slater. It followed Reform’s victory in Southey at the May 2026 local elections, when the party’s Yvonne Sykes won 2,157 votes to Labour candidate Jayne Dunn’s 1,059.
- Reform UK won Sheffield’s Southey ward by-election.
- Labour finished second in the contest.
- The vote filled a vacancy after Gareth Slater’s resignation.
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Southey is a ward in Sheffield, a local council area represented by elected councillors. Sheffield City Council makes decisions on local services such as housing, roads and waste collection.
The by-election was called after Gareth Slater resigned; he had been elected as a Labour councillor and later became an independent. Reform UK and Labour are among the parties competing for seats on the council, and a by-election lets residents choose who will fill a vacant seat before the next scheduled local elections.
The result adds to the picture of party support in Southey, where Reform also won a council seat in May 2026. Council seats matter because they help determine how parties are represented when the council makes local decisions.
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