Nigel Farage dealt another hammer blow to the Tories overnight as Reform UK won its first ever London council seat despite a major effort by Kemi Badenoch. Reform took the seat of Bromley Common & Holwood in a by-election, in south east London, with a huge 22.9% swing away from the Tories.

Despite not standing before, Reform won 34% of the vote, with the Tories crashing by 11.8 points to 29.4%. Labour also dropped by 10.4 points to 18.2%. The news is another major blow to Kemi Badenoch, who personally went campaigning for the Tory candidate yesterday.

In a Facebook post the Tory leader argued: “Labour has already raised council tax despite promising a freeze and schools like Bishop Challoner in Bromley are closing, citing their VAT hike as a reason.

“We won’t let them. Vote Conservative. Vote Ian Payne, and protect what matters.”

A Reform UK spokesman said: “The Tories are wilting away across country as we saw in May. Kemi and CCHQ threw the kitchen sink at this seat and still came up short.

“Reform stand ready to campaign across all of London next May.”

Responding to the win, Reform activist Michael Hadwen boasted: “Alan Cook and his team can be proud, a huge result that proves Reform is on the rise in the capital.”

Reform is eyeing up big wins in next year’s London elections, where polls suggest they could overtake the Tories.

Former LibDem MP Lembit Opik added: “Alan Cook of Reform UK just won a spectacular victory in the Bromley Common and Holwood by-election. Tories are finished. Labour is pointless.

@reformparty_uk is the future.”

The Tories did cling on to council seats in other by-elections last night, including Swanage in Dorset, Borehamwood in Hertsmere and Alrewas & Fradley in Lichfield.

It comes after Reform won four separate council by-election victories a fortnight ago, suggesting the party’s momentum is not slowing down.