Nigel Farage arranged a fireworks display and a party. The prime minister and the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have both written post-mortem articles in Saturday's newspapers. Politicians often accuse journalists of a splash of hyperbole, but it would be a struggle to top the Tory leader's description of her party's results as a "bloodbath."

Reform's Sarah Pochin was declared winner of the seat of Runcorn and Helsby in northwest England by six votes after a recount.

Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party made early gains in local English election results on Friday and dramatically won a parliamentary by-election by the smallest ever margin in the first major electoral test since last year's general election.