Reform UK's Local Election Gains Add Political Pressure on Immigration Policy
10 May 2026
Reform UK won more than 1,300 council seats in the May 2026 local elections, entering Scotland and Wales for the first time. The result has put fresh political pressure on the Labour government on immigration.
The party's leader, Nigel Farage, has called for an "emergency brake" on work and family visas, a five-year moratorium on low-skilled immigration, and rapid processing of asylum cases offshore. These are Reform UK policy proposals. They are not current government plans and have not been introduced into law.
Political commentators expect the Labour government to move more quickly on the immigration changes it has already consulted on. The earned settlement plans, which would extend the qualifying period for most Skilled Worker visa holders from 5 to 10 years, are expected to arrive "later this year." Some analysts now expect the government to bring these changes forward sooner, possibly through the next King's Speech.
No immediate changes have been announced. All current visa routes, settlement rules, and qualifying periods remain in place.
If you are on a BNO visa, the current earned settlement proposals protect your five-year route to settlement. BNO holders from Hong Kong are explicitly excluded from the 10-year baseline.
Skilled Worker and Family visa holders should watch the coming days closely. The government must give its formal response to the Home Affairs Committee's earned settlement report by 13 May 2026. That response is expected to give the clearest signal yet of when changes will take effect and in what form.
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