UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he will not step down following early results from local elections in England that showed losses for the Labour Party.
“I will not resign and plunge the country into chaos,” Starmer said, responding to the results, which have so far indicated a setback for Labour and gains for the populist Reform UK party.
Referring to Labour’s landslide victory in the July 2024 general election, Starmer stated: “I led our party to that victory, and it is a five-year mandate to change the country.”
He added that in the coming days he will set out “the next steps” Labour will take to regain voter confidence.
When asked whether he will stand in the next general election, he confirmed: “Yes. It was a five-year mandate that I was elected for, and I intend to see it through to the end.”
So far, Labour has lost control of eight local councils, while Reform UK has won more than 380 seats, although vote counting is still ongoing.
