Could Nigel Farage Turn the Northern Red Wall Turquoise?

By Times News

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In two years, Nigel Farage’s party has rapidly expanded its footprint in Westminster and shattered traditional local council strongholds. Reform UK took outright control of Sunderland, Gateshead and South Tyneside in the local elections — three areas that had been either rock-solid Labour or under no overall control since 1974. Aubrey Allegretti, The Times’s chief political correspondent, asks whether this shift is permanent — and if it is — what is it that’s driving this political earthquake? Produced by Tom Grant Read the best of our journalism: https://www.thetimes.com/ Listen live to Times Radio: https://www.thetimes.com/radio/live Subscribe to The Times and The Sunday Times YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=timesonlinevideo Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timesandsundaytimes/ Find us on X: https://x.com/thetimes Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetimes/

Tags: the times, the sunday times, Reform UK local election results, Nigel Farage Sunderland, Gateshead election results, South Tyneside council Reform UK, Aubrey Allegretti, Labour local election losses 2026, North East England politics, Red Wall collapse, Nigel Farage Westminster, British political earthquake, Tom Grant Times, UK populist politics, Sunderland council election, Keir Starmer local elections, political analysis Times Radio

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