Labour councillors, including the party's council leader Gavin Callaghan, dramatically walked out of the Basildon election count on Thursday night without speaking to the press as Reform UK secured major gains. Essex Live reporter Matt Critchell captured the moment on video at the count venue. Mr Critchell reported: "The Labour Party have just left the building. They were chased by the press, we've been told they couldn't make statements. They’ve been told not to speak with anyone."

Mr Critchell continued: "That's the current leader of Basildon Council, who is Labour, Gavin Callaghan, and the rest of the Labour group. They were told they couldn't talk — they wouldn't give any comments or speak off the record. That was just as Reform had their second victory tonight."

The walkout came amid heavy losses for Labour in the Basildon Borough Council elections. Reform UK won 11 of the 14 seats contested, with Labour losing all six of its defended seats. Conservatives held three. The 42-seat council remains under no overall control, but Reform's surge strengthens its position in the area.

The incident follows controversy surrounding Mr Callaghan. In early April, he posted an AI-generated video on Facebook attacking Conservative opponents and warning about Reform UK influence.

The video featured lyrics from the original version of Michael Jackson's They Don't Care About Us, which included antisemitic content. Mr Callaghan said he was unaware of the lyrics at the time of posting, deleted it immediately upon learning of the issue, and apologised.

Mr Callaghan stated: "I was completely unaware of this at the time I posted the video and, to my enormous regret, did not check the video adequately before posting. As soon as I was made aware of the antisemitism within the lyrics, I immediately deleted the post. Antisemitism has no place in our society and I am deeply sorry."

The video was reported to Essex Police, though officers later took no further action, stating it did not meet the criminal threshold. Local Conservatives and Reform UK criticised the incident and called for accountability. Reform group leader Sam Journet described it as "deeply concerning," noting the timing during Passover.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged the difficult night for Labour across England on Friday. Speaking in Ealing, west London, Sir Keir said: “The results are tough, they are very tough, and there’s no sugarcoating it.

"We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country... And that hurts, and it should hurt, and I take responsibility.”

Sir Keir added that voters “still want their lives to improve” and “want to see the change that we promised,” amid frustrations over the economy and living standards.

The 2026 local elections have seen Reform UK achieve a strong performance nationally, winning hundreds of seats and even gaining control of its first councils, such as Newcastle-under-Lyme. In Basildon, the results reflect broader voter discontent in Essex and former "Red Wall" areas.

Nationally, Thursday's local elections delivered a punishing night for Labour. With results declared from dozens of the 136 English councils contested, the party had lost hundreds of seats, reflecting ongoing voter frustration with the Government’s handling of the economy and public services since the 2024 General Election.

Reform UK made substantial gains, adding hundreds of councillors and strengthening its position in heartlands, while the Conservatives also continued to shed seats in many areas.

Express.co.uk has contacted Mr Callaghan and the Labour Party press office for comment.