Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to outline a timeline for his departure following a devastating performance in local elections across Britain. Senior Labour MPs have called on the prime minister to step down within a year after the party lost control of more than 25 councils and nearly 1,000 council seats in England by Friday evening. Many of these losses were to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, which made significant gains across the Midlands and the north, while also taking seats from the Conservatives in the south.
Labour's Historic Losses in Wales and Scotland
In Wales, Labour faced near-wipeout after more than a century of dominance. First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat, and Plaid Cymru became the largest party in the Senedd. In Scotland, Labour could slump to third place behind the SNP and Reform UK. The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, conceded defeat, acknowledging that his party had failed to counter national dissatisfaction with Starmer.
Green Surge in London
In London, a surge in support for the Green Party led to Labour losing control of councils it had long dominated, including Hackney and Waltham Forest. The Greens gained their first two directly elected mayors in Hackney and Lewisham, and won control of three councils: Norwich, Hastings, and Waltham Forest. Green leader Zack Polanski declared Britain's two-party politics dead and buried.
Internal Party Reactions
While the prime minister appeared to have avoided an immediate coup, the response among senior MPs and unions was furious. By Friday evening, ten more MPs had called for him to set out a timetable for leaving Number 10. Louise Haigh, a former cabinet minister and co-chair of the Tribune group, was the first to break cover, stating that unless the government delivers significant and urgent change, the prime minister cannot lead the party into another election.
One senior backbencher said: We want Keir to agree a timetable for his departure, but we want it to be dignified. He should have his last conference this autumn and then oversee a leadership contest straight after. He cannot take us into next year's local elections. It is too late.
However, Starmer insisted that he would not walk away from the leadership, as doing so would plunge the party into chaos. He acknowledged that voters were fed up with the slow pace of change.
Government Response
Downing Street sources indicated that the prime minister would deliver a major speech next week, seeking to set out a more optimistic vision for the country's future. The king's speech on Wednesday will also include policy announcements, though a cabinet reshuffle is not expected.
Reform UK's Historic Gains
Nigel Farage described a truly historic shift in British politics after Reform UK won hundreds of seats and control of more councils in England. The gains included Essex, where Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has her constituency and which the Tories held for 25 years. Badenoch, however, announced that the Conservatives had won back the flagship Westminster council in central London, claiming the party was coming back.
Labour's London Stronghold Under Threat
Labour appeared to be struggling in its London stronghold, unexpectedly losing control of Brent. Party insiders were closely watching councils including Lambeth, Lewisham, and Haringey. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, issued a grave warning that Labour could face the same terminal decline in the capital as it had in Scotland, though he did not call for Starmer to resign.
Potential Leadership Rivals
Allies of Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham, two potential leadership rivals, said they would keep their counsel and watch how events developed over the weekend. Wes Streeting was expected to speak to the media after his local council results. However, all appeared to have put any plans for a coup on hold.
Several other senior Labour MPs, many thought to be supporters of Burnham, went public with their warnings. Sarah Owen, chair of the women and equalities committee, said: Unless Keir Starmer delivers tangible change and truly connects with the public on a human level, he cannot lead us into another election. Anneliese Midgley, MP for Knowsley, said: The results here and across the north are beyond our worst expectations. It is truly devastating. Unless that changes significantly and quickly, it is clear the PM cannot lead us into another election.
Simon Opher, MP for Stroud, added: The public has spoken; I think we need to change our leader. It is not if now, it is when. Keir is a decent guy but I think he is not the right leader for the next election. If we go into the next election with him, we will just get slaughtered.
Cabinet Support for Starmer
Cabinet ministers and Labour grandees rallied around Starmer as more backbenchers called for him to go. Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: The British public do not want to hear about timelines, backroom deals, and navel-gazing. Let us get on with the job. Business Secretary Peter Kyle added: Reversing these results requires a collective effort, not just blaming the boss. We cannot do that by turning in on ourselves. We do it by rebuilding faith in Labour's ability to inspire and lead our country. Losing our PM is the very opposite of that.
Union Warnings
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham issued a warning that Starmer must change or die, but Labour's trade union liaison group called for a change of direction rather than explicitly a leadership change.
Several cabinet ministers acknowledged privately that even with Starmer's determination to stay, the mood on the backbenches is febrile and events could spiral out of control over the weekend. They also admitted that while they would discourage any move against Starmer now, they did not expect him to lead the party into the next election. One told the Guardian earlier this week: When your personal brand is so poor, it is seldom retrievable.
Starmer also faced trouble in his own back yard, as Richard Olszewski, the Labour leader of Camden council, lost his Holborn and Covent Garden ward to the Greens, despite switching to what was considered a safer seat.
