Reform UK wins Sheffield Southey ward election by 297 votes
Reform UK has won the Sheffield Southey ward election by-election, with Paul Jakeman taking 1,133 votes to Labour candidate Jayne Dunn's 836—a margin of 297. The contest on Thursday, 27 August, followed the July resignation of independent councillor Gareth Slater and strengthens Reform UK's foothold on Sheffield City Council. Labour leader Fran Belbin said her party had cut Reform's May majority from about 1,000 votes to less than 300.
Key Takeaways
- Reform UK's Paul Jakeman won the Sheffield Southey ward by-election with 1,133 votes to Labour's 836.
- The vote was triggered when independent councillor Gareth Slater resigned in July.
- Labour cut Reform's May majority from roughly 1,000 votes to 297 in this contest.
- Reform UK now holds 11 council seats; Sheffield remains under no overall control.
- Five parties contested the seat, but the result was effectively a two-horse race at the top.
Why did Sheffield hold a Southey ward by-election?
The vote was triggered when independent councillor Gareth Slater resigned in early July, leaving one of Southey ward's seats vacant. Sheffield uses a multi-member ward system, so this was a separate seat contest rather than a direct rematch of May's local elections, though analysts expected the political mood among Southey voters to carry over.
Five candidates stood: Paul Jakeman for Reform UK, Jayne Dunn for Labour, plus representatives from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Green Party. Before polling day, betting analysts had installed Jakeman as the clear favourite, citing Reform's strong May showing in the ward.
What were the Sheffield Southey ward election results?
Jakeman won with 1,133 votes to Dunn's 836 on Thursday. Reform UK group leader John Hesketh called Jakeman "a welcome addition" who would help hold Sheffield's Labour and Green shared administration to account.
In May, Reform's Yvonne Sykes unseated Dunn from a different Southey seat, winning 2,157 votes to Dunn's 1,059—a majority of roughly 1,000. Belbin said her party had "slashed that majority to less than 300" this time and had "good hopes for the future," though she acknowledged she would have loved to see Dunn return to the council.
What did the candidates say after the result?
Jakeman said the victory reflected support for Reform's "commonsense policies on housing, public transport, the state of Sheffield's roads and how the council is managed." Belbin praised Dunn as "a fantastic councillor and a really great candidate," noting Dunn had first been elected to Broomhill ward in 2012 and represented Southey since 2016.
Jakeman had stood in Dore and Totley ward in May, finishing second out of six candidates as Liberal Democrats leader Martin Smith retained his seat.
How does this change the balance on Sheffield City Council?
Reform UK now holds 11 seats on the council. The party won 12 seats in May, bringing its group total to 13, but that number had dropped to 10 because of resignations or suspensions before this by-election.
Labour has 25 members, the Liberal Democrats 22, the Green Party 20, Sheffield Community Councillors two and Independents four. The council remains under no overall control, with Labour and the Greens in a shared administration. For more offbeat political twists from around the globe, browse our Bizarre World coverage.
The result was reported by the BBC and the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Friday, 28 August 2026.