Reform UK secures another victory in Sheffield's Southey ward election
Labour narrowly misses out in the closely contested by-election
Last updated 28th Aug 2026
Reform UK has achieved another electoral win in Sheffield, securing a by-election victory in Southey ward.
Paul Jakeman won the by-election with a total of 1,113 votes, outdoing Labour's Jayne Dunn by 297 votes.
Ms Dunn, a former Lord Mayor, was previously defeated by Reform UK's Yvonne Sykes in the council elections on 7th May.
Labour leader Councillor Fran Belbin expressed satisfaction, noting that Labour is closing the gap on Reform UK compared to previous results in the ward.
She said: "Obviously, I would have loved to have Jane back on council because she was a fantastic councillor and a really great candidate in these elections.”
Coun Belbin added that the election had been influenced by local issues and highlighted Ms Dunn’s previous contributions to the area.
She also commented on Reform UK’s internal issues, citing disengagement among voters and recent changes within their ranks.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Gareth Slater in July for family commitments. He had originally been elected for Labour in 2024 but became an independent earlier this year.
In the previous council elections, Reform UK emerged victorious as Yvonne Sykes unseated Jayne Dunn on 7th May, with a vote split of 2,157 to 1,059.
Five candidates competed for the by-election post, with Jakeman and Dunn leading the race.
Jakeman had previously run for election in the Dore and Totley ward in May, finishing second.
The election saw a turnout of 15.63%.
After this result, Labour holds 25 council seats, the LibDems have 22, Greens have 20, Reform UK now has 11, 2 seats for Sheffield Community Councillors, and 4 for Independents.
The council remains under no overall control, with Labour and the Greens sharing administration duties.
Reform UK declined to comment immediately and is expected to issue a statement today.