Reform oust County Durham Labour Group Leader’s Stanley seat

Carl Marshall has not won re-election for his seat in Stanley, with Reform UK gaining both of the council seats. Christine Blatchford and David Walton have both been elected to Durham City Council.

Mr Marshall had been a councillor for Stanley since 2008, with the result coming as a huge shock across the County Durham political spectrum. But the result is also seen as a huge coup for Nigel Farage and Reform.

The result in Stanley looks to reflect the wider image across County Durham, with Reform making huge gains across the region at the expense of every other party.

Some Labour insiders have suggested a possible ‘wipeout’ for Sir Keir Starmer’s party in County Durham.

At the time of writing, Reform has won 30 seats out of a possible 37.