Labour suffers heavy election losses as pressure mounts on Starmer
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 8
Labour suffers heavy election losses as pressure mounts on Starmer
17 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 8
Labour lost more than 1,100 English council seats, lost power in Wales after 27 years, and 21 MPs publicly urged Sir Keir Starmer to quit or set an exit timetable.
Reform UK won more than 1,400 seats and led the BBC projected national share on 26%, while Plaid Cymru became largest in Wales and the SNP stayed on course to lead in Scotland.
Starmer ruled out quitting and plans a reset next week, backed by cabinet allies, but unions demanded an urgent meeting and a change in economic policy and political strategy.
With its traditional heartlands gone, does the Labour Party have anywhere left to call home in Britain?
Can Keir Starmer survive a dossier scandal and Labour's worst election results since the 1970s?
Labour’s Leadership Crisis Deepens After Losing 246 Seats Amid Reform UK’s Rise to 327 Councillors
Overview
The May 2026 local elections marked a dramatic shift in British politics, with Labour suffering heavy losses due to leadership scandals, policy failures, and alienation of core supporters. This collapse fueled a surge for Reform UK, which capitalized on anti-establishment sentiment to win hundreds of seats, disrupting traditional party dominance. Smaller parties like the Greens and Liberal Democrats also made gains, leading to many councils with no overall control and signaling a fragmented political landscape. Labour’s defeat triggered a leadership crisis, with calls for Starmer’s resignation growing. These changes point to a future of coalition politics and a more divided electorate, setting the stage for a complex and uncertain 2029 general election.