Nearly 90 Labour MPs Urge Starmer to Quit After 1,500 Local Election Losses
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 15
Nearly 90 Labour MPs Urge Starmer to Quit After 1,500 Local Election Losses
11 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 15
Nearly 90 Labour MPs have called on Keir Starmer to resign or set a timetable for departure after Labour lost almost 1,500 councillors in England's local elections.
Starmer has refused, telling cabinet he will "get on with governing" and warning a leadership contest would bring chaos; Downing Street says he will fight any challenge.
81 MPs backing a single rival are needed to trigger a formal contest, and more than 150 MPs still support Starmer or say now is not the time.
Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham are seen as possible successors, with Streeting resigning as health secretary and Burnham potentially seeking a Commons seat.
The revolt caps months of policy U-turns and scandals, including the Mandelson ambassador appointment, as Reform UK and the Greens cut into Labour's support.
Beyond just replacing Starmer, what fundamental choice does the Labour Party face in its next leader?
How will Nigel Farage's resurgent Reform UK party exploit Labour's internal civil war?
With his authority shattered after the Mandelson scandal, who is now truly in control of the UK government?
Labour’s May 2026 Local Election Collapse: Historic Losses, Leadership Crisis, and the Fragmentation of British Politics
Overview
The May 2026 local elections dealt a devastating blow to the Labour Party, ending its dominance in key areas and triggering immediate calls for Keir Starmer’s resignation. As the political landscape in Britain rapidly fragments, insurgent parties like Reform and the Liberal Democrats made major gains, directly impacting Labour’s traditional strongholds. This defeat set the stage for a potential leadership challenge, with figures like Wes Streeting emerging as contenders. Deep divisions have gripped the party, as some MPs demand change while others call for unity, highlighting Labour’s struggle to adapt to the end of two-party dominance and the rise of new political forces.