Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made a late appeal to voters turning to Reform and the Green Party, warning they are not equipped to handle global instability, as Labour braces for potentially record-breaking losses in Thursday's local elections in England.
In a statement, Starmer said Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski had 'shown they are not fit to meet this moment of great global instability', and urged voters to back Labour councils working with a Labour government. The warning comes amid predictions that Labour could lose more than 1,500 council seats, with some experts forecasting losses of up to 1,900 seats.
Reform is expected to take traditionally Labour-held councils such as Barnsley and Sunderland, while the SNP looks set for a fifth victory in the Scottish parliament elections. Labour is also predicted to lose ground in Scotland and is on course to lose power in the Welsh Senedd to Plaid Cymru.
MPs are braced for a potential leadership challenge, with Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan and Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar among those who could call for Starmer's resignation. However, senior party figures such as Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan are reportedly unlikely to act immediately.
Centrist Labour MPs are set to publish a report calling for a more radical economic vision, including stronger action on living standards and housing. Public research shows many voters leaving Labour for Reform and the Greens favour a more ambitious approach to structural problems.
