Nigel Farage has celebrated a 'truly historic day' for Reform UK after the party made substantial gains in local elections across England and Wales, while Labour suffered significant losses. Reform UK took control of Essex County Council and significantly increased its number of councillors. Farage declared that the party had 'crushed the red wall and the blue wall'. Labour lost hundreds of councillor seats and control of several councils, including historic northern heartlands and key London boroughs. In Wales, Labour faced a crushing defeat, with First Minister Eluned Morgan losing her Senedd seat. Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party with 43 seats compared to Labour's nine. The Green Party also achieved notable success, winning the Hackney mayoral election from Labour and making considerable gains in councillor numbers across the country. Following the disappointing results, several Labour MPs publicly called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign, though he stated he would not walk away, and some cabinet ministers voiced support for his continued leadership.
