Reform UK have first Rotherham councillor after unseating Labour in by-election
Tony Harrison, who also stood in the recent General Election for the Rother Valley seat, secured 1,160 votes to take the win
Last updated 11th Jul 2025
Rotherham has elected its first ever Reform UK councillor following a tightly contested by-election in Keppel Ward.
Tony Harrison, who also stood in the recent General Election for the Rother Valley seat, secured 1,160 votes to take the win, finishing 359 votes ahead of Independent Neil Collett and 602 ahead of Labour’s Kieran Bold, who came third.
The result marks a historic breakthrough for Reform UK in Rotherham, where the party has never before held a seat on the borough council.
Labour had been hoping to retain the seat following the resignation of councillor Carole Foster in May. But the party’s candidate, Kieran Bold, polled just 558 votes, falling well behind both Harrison and Collett, who received 801.
Turnout was low, with just 2,885 ballots cast from an electorate of 10,557, putting overall participation at 27.3 per cent.
Although Harrison took the seat with a clear lead, the result reveals a fragmented political landscape in Keppel Ward. Just over 40 per cent of those who voted backed the Reform UK candidate, but nearly 60 per cent chose someone else, and the race for second place was tight.
Result breakdown:
Tony Harrison (Reform UK) – 1,160 votes (elected)
Neil Collett (Independent) – 801
Kieran Bold (Labour) – 558
Lewis Mills (Conservatives) – 105
Peter Key (Yorkshire Party) – 100
Khoulod Ghanem (Liberal Democrats) – 80
Tony Mabbott (Green Party) – 77
Just four ballot papers were rejected.
The result means Keppel Ward is now represented by three councillors from three different political affiliations: Harrison (Reform UK), Gillian Garnett (Labour), and Simon Currie (Independent).
It marks a significant shift in a ward that has leaned heavily Labour in recent elections, as all three Labour candidates topped the poll in Keppel just last year. The result is likely to prompt reflection from the party locally, while Harrison’s win may signal growing momentum for Reform UK across parts of South Yorkshire.
He is expected to take up his seat at the next full council meeting.