Labour Holds Huncoat by 43 Votes as Restore Britain Takes Nearly 28%
Labour has retained the Huncoat ward on Hyndburn Borough Council in Lancashire after a closely contested by-election on Thursday 12 November 2026. Jackie Rawstron received 318 votes, finishing 43 ahead of Reform UK candidate Anna Stanislawska on 275. Restore Britain candidate Mark Conlon came third with 257 votes, only 18 behind Reform UK.
Huncoat by-election: full results
The four candidates received a combined 924 valid votes. Reported turnout was 26.2%.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
| Jackie Rawstron | Labour | 318 | 34.4% |
| Anna Stanislawska | Reform UK | 275 | 29.8% |
| Mark Conlon | Restore Britain | 257 | 27.8% |
| Shahed Mahmood | Conservative | 74 | 8.0% |
Labour retains seat after councillor’s death
The election followed the death of long-serving Labour councillor Dave Parkins. The result is a Labour hold, although Reform UK won the ward’s separately contested seat at the May 2026 local elections.
Restore Britain finishes close behind Reform UK
Restore Britain secured 27.8% of valid votes, compared with Reform UK’s 29.8%. The combined vote for the two parties was 532, but that does not establish how voters would have behaved had either party not contested the election.
How the result compares with May
Reform UK won 49.2% in Huncoat in May 2026, compared with 29.8% at this by-election. Labour’s share rose from 23.9% to 34.4%. The Green Party, which won 16.5% in May, did not stand in November. These contests involved different seats and turnout, so the changes do not directly measure individual voter switching.
Campaign controversy
The campaign attracted controversy after reports that Rawstron had been suspended by Labour pending an internal investigation into historical social media posts. Her name remained on the ballot because nominations had closed. The suspension and allegations should not be taken as findings of an investigation.
What the result means
Labour retained the vacant seat by a narrow margin, while Reform UK and Restore Britain finished close together. The result provides a local snapshot ahead of the scheduled May 2027 elections, rather than evidence of a national voting trend.