Is Hull falling out of love with Labour?

In Hull's industrial heartland is Reform Street, a mix of yards, with a nearby newsagents and fish and chip shop serving lunchtime workers.

During Thursday's local election, it was the Liberal Democrats who took this central ward seat from Labour.

But on a night when Reform UK secured 10 of of the 19 seats up for grabs, ensuring the Lib Dems no longer have a majority on the city council, only one subject is being talked about.

Until this election, two parties dominated in Hull: the Lib Dems and Labour.

Both parties took a hit from Reform, which entered this contest without holding a single seat. Today, it is the authority's third largest party.

Paul Sims, 60, managing director of his family-run food oil business, is not surprised.

"It's everyone jumping on the immigration bandwagon," he tells me.

"It's all being whipped up, people are worried about immigrants taking their jobs. At the same time, Labour has not exactly been brilliant.

"A lot of my family are Reform voters. I'm not. I'm not convinced Reform has a plan, and I don't think they would be good for business."

Prehya James, 25, is delivering food.

She says: "I can see why people would vote Reform - they want change. But I really don't think they would fix the state of the economy."

A few miles away, in Marfleet ward in the east of the city, Reform took a seat from Labour.

Maureen Wood, 82, tells me Labour will always have her vote, but she gives no real reason why that is so, shrugging: "I always have done."

But Paul Wick, 58, a former Army tank commander, says Labour should no longer count on such unequivocal loyalty.

In previous local and general elections, he has voted Labour.

At this election, he voted Reform.

"People are coming to Britain for the benefits," he says. "We're putting them up in hotels while former servicemen - people I know - are sleeping rough. It's not right."

Paul casts his mind back to when Labour dominated.

In the 1990s, the party held 59 of 60 seats in the Guildhall council chamber.

Paul adds: "Labour used to be for the working man. Now, they're about broken promises."

He references the Labour government's decision to cut winter fuel payments. The party did, however, later reverse the cuts - but for Paul, at least, the damage was done.

In Hull, Labour lost eight seats, with group leader Daren Hale saying the result was down to a "failure of national leadership".

Hale told the BBC: "What we were getting on every doorstep... was not about the Labour Party per se - certainly not about local councillors - it was about the leadership of the Labour Party."

Paul agrees.

"Starmer has to go," he says. "People are not happy."

John Hought, 64, a tradesman, claims Britons are "fed up". Like the others, he also cites illegal immigration.

"People around here are willing to give them [Reform] a chance," he says.

But Roxy Gregory and her partner, Jae Toker, both 23, are concerned.

They both voted for the Green Party, which failed to secure any of the seats.

"We are are a lesbian couple and we don't like Reform's stance on inclusivity," says Jae.

"He [Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK] wants to scrap the Equality Act. That legislation is designed to support everyone."

Ahead of the 2024 general election, the party pledged it would replace the Equality Act and scrap diversity, equality and inclusion rules.

Asked if Reform's performance in the local elections could be a precursor to Hull getting a Reform MP, Roxy replies: "Yes, I think so."

Roxy says she and Jae vigorously oppose Reform's stance on immigration.

"It's divisive," she says. "If you go back far enough, most of us were immigrants."

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