UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour Party have suffered significant losses in the early stages of the local elections, highlighting growing voter dissatisfaction just two years after their landslide general election victory.
Early results show Labour losing support in traditional strongholds, including former industrial areas in central and northern England, as well as parts of London.
The main beneficiary so far has been the populist Reform UK party, led by Brexit figure Nigel Farage, which has won more than 300 council seats across England. The party is also emerging as a growing force in Scotland and Wales, challenging the established political parties in those regions.
Polling expert John Curtice said Labour’s performance was “almost as bad as expected, possibly even worse,” reflecting widespread voter frustration.
The elections for 136 local councils in England, as well as devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, are seen as a key test of public opinion ahead of the next general election expected in 2029.
Within Labour, some MPs have warned that a poor showing in Scotland, a loss of control in Wales, and failure to retain a majority of around 2,500 council seats could increase pressure on Starmer to resign or set a timeline for stepping down. However, his allies have defended him, arguing that leadership turmoil would be damaging.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the last thing voters want is “the potential chaos of a leadership contest,” adding: “I think he can still deliver, he can still turn things around.”
The results also reflect a deep fragmentation of Britain’s traditional two-party system, with both Labour and the Conservatives losing ground to Reform UK, while the Green Party is also making gains. Nationalist parties are also expected to perform strongly in Scotland and Wales.
Nigel Farage described the results so far as a “historic shift in British politics.”
One of the most striking outcomes was Labour losing control of Tameside council for the first time in nearly 50 years, after Reform UK won all 14 seats Labour was defending.
