Labour has suffered significant losses in England's local elections, with Reform UK making sweeping gains in pro-Brexit heartlands across the Midlands and north, including Sunderland and Hartlepool. The party has lost over 1,000 councillors and control of the Welsh parliament, with further disappointment expected in Scotland. Some analysts suggest these could be Labour's worst losses in 50 years.
Despite the poor results, momentum for a decisive challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not yet swept through the cabinet or provoked resignations. Former cabinet minister Lou Haigh urged Starmer to set out a timetable to leave office, while several other MPs called for him to go. The Mainstream group, which supports Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, called for an “orderly transition” of leadership before the next election.
However, Burnham himself has remained silent, and other potential challengers such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner have not made the first move. Cabinet loyalists Steve Reed, Liz Kendall, and John Healey defended Starmer, while other senior figures kept their counsel. Behind the scenes, Labour MPs are frustrated but acknowledge there is no obvious mechanism to remove Starmer, and the results are not catastrophic enough to force his resignation.
Starmer has indicated he will not step down, and his aides have briefed that he plans a speech next week. Polling experts revised down their initial predictions of losses from 1,800–2,000 councillors to around 1,200, providing some relief. Labour held off a Liberal Democrat challenge in Merton and retained control in Lincoln, Plymouth, and Reading. The Green Party made gains in London, winning mayoralties in Hackney and Lewisham, but did not achieve the widespread breakthrough some had feared.
