Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Reform UK had clear objectives in the 2026 elections in England, Scotland and Wales. It wanted to show that its 15-month lead in the national opinion polls could be translated into actual votes, and it wanted to finally bury the Conservatives, its main competitor on the right. With only eight MPs in Parliament, compared to the Conservatives 116 MPs, Reform needed to build on its striking success in the local elections in 2025 to make good its claim that it is a national political force which can win a parliamentary majority on its own. The electoral struggle is not directly between Labour and Reform, because Reform wins most of its votes primarily from the Conservatives rather than from Labour. Reform takes seats away from Labour when it can push down the Conservative share of the vote and when other parties on the left, particularly now the Greens, push down the Labour share of the vote. Leaders of Reform have made no secret of their desire to replace the Conservatives.…