Labour has suffered its worst local election results in 50 years, losing over 1,000 councillors and control of the Welsh parliament, as Reform UK made sweeping gains in pro-Brexit heartlands. The results have intensified calls from within the Labour party for Keir Starmer to set an exit date, though no direct leadership challenge has materialised.
Reform UK capitalised on Labour's decline, winning seats in historically deep red areas such as Sunderland and Hartlepool. The losses have left Labour MPs ‘fuming and miserable’, with some urging an ‘orderly transition’ of leadership before the next general election. However, key figures like Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting, and Angela Rayner have remained silent, avoiding a direct move against the prime minister.
Cabinet ministers have largely kept their counsel, with only loyalists like Steve Reed, Liz Kendall, and John Healey defending Starmer. Behind the scenes, special advisers have been recalled to Downing Street to shore up support and prevent plotting. Starmer has made clear he is not stepping down, planning a speech next week to reset his agenda.
Polling experts initially predicted losses of up to 2,000 councillors, but revised estimates to around 1,200. Labour held onto a few councils, including Merton, Lincoln, Plymouth, and Reading, but lost control of at least 15 others. The Green party won mayoralties in Hackney and Lewisham, but a feared Green wave in London did not fully materialise.
The loss of the Welsh Senedd to Plaid Cymru and failure to beat the Scottish National Party in Holyrood were already anticipated. As MPs digest the results, Starmer’s future remains precarious, with the party’s internal pressure likely to mount in the coming days.
