'Everyone expected the election to be close, few could have

NIGEL Farage's Reform UK claimed a statement victory against Labour in the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election as the party's candidate Sarah Pochin beat Labour's Karen Shore by six votes in a dramatic recount in the early hours of Friday morning.

- BY DAN HAYGARTH

The bookies had Mr Farage's insurgent right-wing party as favourites before the election and they began the night of the count in a confident manner.

However, Labour's belief appeared to grow throughout the night. A first round of voting saw the two parties separated by just four votes.

This triggered a dramatic and nervy recount before it was confirmed shortly after 6am that Ms Pochin and Reform had won by the barest of margins.

Journalists began arriving at the count from around 9.15pm on Thursday, 45 minutes before polls closed.

The media were restricted to the balcony and an area around the stage, away from the ballot boxes and counting tables.

For a while it felt as if we were cut away from the action, with few people available for interviews. In their place, interest was mainly provided by Sky News reporter Jon Craig, a stalwart of by-elections, who was broadcasting live on his channel.

Mr Craig's night of broadcasting began with assured predictions that Reform were happy they had it in the bag.

It was an odd, slow and almost eventless start to proceedings. What was to come would be anything but quiet.

Mr Farage spent plenty of time in the constituency during the campaign. Mr Farage had not made his grand entrance either.

Whether he would attend the count itself was one of the main talking points as votes were tallied and journalists looked for ways to fill the time.

Among those who had shown up, there was a lot of confusion and plenty of nerves - nobody truly knew what would happen.