Labour has stormed to yet another by-election victory as Reform UK continues to heap pressure on Rishi Sunak by finishing just 117 votes behind the Tories.
Conservative candidate David Jones received just 3,218 votes, with Reform UK's Mark Butcher breathing down his neck on 3,101.
The populist party has been gunning for the Tories in recent months and the latest YouGov poll put Reform UK just three per cent behind across the country.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer quickly celebrated the result in the Red Wall as Chris Webb secured a 26.3 per cent swing.
Labour storms to victory in Blackpool South as Reform just 100 votes behind ToriesPAThe Leader of the Opposition said: “This seismic win in Blackpool South is the most important result today.
“This is the one contest where voters had the chance to send a message to Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives directly, and that message is an overwhelming vote for change.
“The swing towards the Labour Party in Blackpool South is truly historic and shows that we are firmly back in the service of working people."
Voters across the Lancashire seat went to the polls yesterday after ex-Tory MP Scott Benton was suspended last year over a lobbying scandal.
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A ballot box is emptied during the count for the Blackpool South by-electionPAAnn Widdecombe, a former Tory MP who defected to the Brexit Party, welcomed Reform UK's performance in Blackpool South.
She told GB News: "It was only a couple of months ago that everyone was saying we've got 13 per cent, now we've got 16.9 per cent.
"If we go on at that rate, we are going to overtake the Tories. I am really not going to feel disappointed about the difference of 117 votes."
The declaration in Blackpool South has been Reform UK's best-ever, with the populist party slowly building momentum.
Sir Keir Starmer has heralded by-election succesPAReform UK received 13 per cent in Wellingborough and 10.4 per cent in Kingswood in February.
The result also appeared to put Reform UK on par with Ukip in the 2015 general election, with the then-high-flying Eurosceptic party receiving 17.3 per cent of ballots.
Despite falling well-short of Ukip's by-election results in 2014, Reform UK was also gaining support across other parts of the North of England.
Reform UK leader Richard Tice was gleeful after the populist party appeared to outflank the Tories in parts of Sunderland.
Richard TicePASpeaking ahead of the Blackpool South declaration this morning, Tice claimed his party is “rapidly becoming the real opposition to Labour, whether it’s in the North, the Midlands, we know it’s the case in Wales”.
He added: “This is a very good day for Reform UK.
"It’s also a good day for democracy, actually, because the Great British people have got a serious alternative to consider when they want to go and vote."
Turnout in Blackpool South dropped drastically compared to the last election, falling from 56.8 per cent to just 32.5 per cent.
