Labour faced a disastrous night in local elections as Reform UK made significant gains across England, Scotland, and Wales. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband reportedly advised Prime Minister Keir Starmer to set a resignation timetable if results were as bad as feared, though his spokesperson later disputed the account. By early Friday, Reform had claimed control of Havering, its first London council, and seized Essex county council from the Conservatives, with Nigel Farage declaring a 'historic shift in British politics'.
Reform also took control of Suffolk, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Sunderland, while making inroads in Scotland and Wales. In Wales, Plaid Cymru appeared poised to lead the Senedd for the first time since devolution, with Reform not far behind. The SNP was on track for an unprecedented fifth consecutive term in Scotland, despite Reform gains.
Labour MP Jonathan Brash called the night 'terrible' for his party, blaming 'political cowardice' at the top and urging Starmer to address the nation and set a departure timetable. Meanwhile, Farage dodged questions about a £5m donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, vowing to discuss it 'any other time'.
Other parties celebrated successes. The Greens won their first directly elected mayoralty in Hackney, with leader Zack Polanski declaring two-party politics 'dead and buried'. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey hailed victories in Portsmouth, Stockport, and gains in Sutton and Richmond, where his party now holds all seats.
