Political fragmentation and what it means for financial planning

Reform's tally of 677 council seats represented 41% of all those being contested

clock • 5 min read

Phillip Wickenden assesses last week's local election results and spells out what it could mean for financial advisers, with a bit of input from his dear dad...

At the 2024 general election Reform secured 14% of the vote but just 5 out of 650 seats at Westminster. The First Past the Post (FPTP) system is designed to work for a two-horse race, but the UK is now a country with more runners and riders. The fragmentation caused by populism, political polarisation and a (not so healthy) dose of disappointment, blows the race wide open. And crucially, as last week's local elections made abundantly clear, Nige is no nag. In fact, the going is good for a Reform UK that, having undergone significant professionalisation, has the measure of the racecourse ...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Your profession

Advisers: Are you even taking your own advice?

Advisers: Are you even taking your own advice?

Exploring the expenditure consolidation conversation

Nick Ryan
clock 25 March 2026 • 4 min read
CISI welcomes 76 Certified financial planners

CISI welcomes 76 Certified financial planners

Number of UK CFP professionals continues to rise

Sophia Panayi
clock 24 March 2026 • 1 min read
'Nobody is big enough not to be bought'

'Nobody is big enough not to be bought'

Roderic Rennison on the future of deals in the advice industry

Isabel Baxter
clock 20 March 2026 • 1 min read