Farage’s Reform seizes control of first councils after dramatic by-election win - Farage overturns Labour majority of nearly 15,000 votes in Runcorn and Helsby, as the Tories suffer in the mayoral and

Donna Edmunds said she had been told her words had "brought the party into disrepute and damaged the interests of the party".

Council seats are up for election across Tory heartlands and Nigel Farage is looking to gain hundreds of them.