Rise of Reform UK in UK Local Elections Marks Notable Success for Candidates of Nepali Origin
26 Baisakh, London – The vote count from Thursday’s local elections across three regions of the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, and Wales — has produced unexpected results. In elections held for a total of 5,014 seats across 136 local councils, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has established a strong lead. Reform UK is a right-wing populist and far-right political party known for its tough and uncompromising stance on immigration.
As of midnight Friday, Reform UK secured 1,428 seats. The ruling Labour Party won 955 seats, Liberal Democrats 832, Conservatives 773, and the Green Party 508, with counting still ongoing. These results delivered a significant setback to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. Starmer has accepted responsibility for the defeat. Labour lost over a thousand councillor positions in England, and following historic losses in the Welsh Senedd elections, some Labour MPs are pressuring Starmer to resign. When questioned about remaining as prime minister for upcoming elections, Starmer stated, “Yes, I was elected for a five-year term and I want to complete it.”
Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, speaking to reporters in East London, described the electoral outcomes in England as a “truly historic change”. Farage highlighted that in Chelmsford, Essex, the results reflected a fundamental transformation in voting behavior across the UK. His party has won over 1,400 councillor seats, breaking traditional Labour strongholds in the Midlands, Northeast, and Northwest regions. This local election outcome has initiated fresh debate within national politics. The rise of Reform UK alongside Labour’s relatively weak performance and continued pressure on the Conservative Party marks this election as a pivotal moment in British political landscape.
In Wales, governing Labour faced a severe defeat, losing control of areas they have dominated for 27 years. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party appears set to become the largest party. Voters in Scotland and Wales elected representatives for their respective national parliaments, while councillors and mayors were elected in various English councils.
The presence of candidates of Nepali origin has also made a significant impact. Of approximately one and a half dozen Nepali-origin candidates, many have been elected as councillors, though some were unsuccessful. According to reports, former mayor Jeet Ranabhat was elected councillor from the Plumstead and Glyndon ward of Royal Greenwich Borough, London, securing 1,610 votes. First elected as councillor in 2022, Ranabhat has previously served as mayor and deputy mayor of the borough. His wife, Gaumaya Gurung Ranabhat, was also elected councillor for the first time from the Abbeywood ward of the same borough. Both Ranabhats represent the Labour Party.
In Aldershot’s Rushmoor Borough, Jeev Narayan Belwase was elected as councillor for the Manor Park ward, and former Gurkha Uttar Bahadur Gurung for the Wellington ward. Belwase, a Conservative candidate, secured councillor office for the second time, while Gurung, representing Labour, was elected for the first time.
Belwase has served the community for nearly 25 years, contributing to local police, Rushmoor Borough Council, Citizens Advice Bureau, Rushmoor Volunteer Services, Rushmoor Fire and Rescue Services, and the Primary Care Network. He has chaired the Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community and remained active in NRNA UK. Belwase has also been honored with the Rushmoor Volunteer Services and Hampshire Sheriff Awards and was shortlisted for the BBC Community Hero Award.
Additionally, Pratiksha Gurung was elected councillor for Batter Ward of Reading Borough, becoming the first councillor of Nepali origin there from the Labour Party. Conservative candidate Lakshya Gurung was elected for the third time as councillor from the Edgwarebury ward of Barnet Borough, London. Former deputy mayor Gurung claimed to be the first Nepali to be elected councillor for the third time. Former councillor Kamal Gurung also secured reelection as councillor from Barnet Borough’s Burnt Oak ward representing Labour Party.
Several Nepali-origin candidates faced defeat as well. Dr. Vishal Gurung, Conservative candidate for Rushmoor’s Volington ward, was unsuccessful in his second attempt. Former DSP Shivji Shrestha, running as a Labour candidate in Basingstoke, was also defeated. Narendra Kandel and Tom Adhikari, candidates supported by Jeremy Corbyn’s Your Party in the Royal Greenwich Borough, were unsuccessful. Kandel contested against former mayor Ranabhat in Plumstead and Glyndon, while Adhikari stood in Woolwich. Indrahang Limbu, Conservative candidate in Feltham North ward of Hounslow Borough, London, was defeated. Likewise, Conservative candidate Gyan Prasad Gurung lost in Swindon.