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UK Labour Party Suffers Major Losses in Local Elections; Starmer Faces Leadership Pressure

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UK Local Elections 2026: Labour Suffers Heavy Losses as Reform UK and Greens Surge

Voters in the United Kingdom went to the polls on May 7, 2026, for local and regional elections. Results show significant losses for the governing Labour Party, with the hard-right Reform UK party and the Green Party making substantial gains. The elections, which also included contests for devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, have resulted in calls from some Labour MPs for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign, a demand he has rejected.

Election Results

The Labour Party lost approximately 460 seats across 73 of 136 English councils, with some sources reporting losses of nearly 1,500 council seats in England overall. The Conservative Party also lost hundreds of councillors, while the centrist Liberal Democrats made some gains.

Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, gained hundreds of local council seats, with one source putting the figure at 641. The party won seats in working-class areas in northern England, such as Hartlepool, and made gains from the Conservatives in areas like Havering in east London. Reform UK also took control of three councils: Suffolk, Essex, and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Green Party also increased its vote share, particularly in urban centers and university towns.

In Wales, Labour lost control of the Senedd for the first time since its establishment 27 years ago, with First Minister Eluned Morgan losing her seat. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) is on track to win the most seats, with Labour coming second.

Analysis of the Political Landscape

"None of the parties are very big... the fracturing of British politics is underlined by these results."
— Professor John Curtice, University of Strathclyde

Professor John Curtice stated that the results reflect a fragmentation of British politics, with no party achieving 30% of the vote.

Prime Minister's Response

Speaking on May 8 and in a subsequent speech on Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he takes responsibility for what he described as "very tough" results. He stated he will not resign, asserting, "I was elected to meet those challenges, and I'm not going to walk away."

Starmer argued that his government's main political choices were correct, citing reductions in NHS waiting lists, child poverty, and immigration as evidence that "the fundamentals are sound."

In his Monday speech, Starmer vowed to address major challenges including economic growth, national defense, UK-EU relations, and energy needs. He announced plans to nationalize parts of British Steel and pledged to secure a youth mobility deal with the European Union, while ruling out rejoining the EU, its customs union, or single market. He described Labour as "a mainstream party of power, not protest."

Leadership Challenges and Internal Reactions

A number of Labour MPs have called for Prime Minister Starmer's resignation, with reports indicating over 30 MPs, and as many as 42 by one account, are calling for him to step down.

Calls for Resignation

  • Catherine West (Labour MP): Stated she intends to collect signatures from colleagues to demand a departure timetable. She acknowledged she lacks the support needed to force a formal leadership contest—which requires 81 MPs' endorsement—but hopes to prompt action. After Starmer's Monday speech, she said she would hold off for now but urged him to resign by September.
  • Jonathan Brash (Labour MP): Said, "I don’t think Keir Starmer should survive these results... we need new leadership."
  • Josh Simons (former Starmer ally): Wrote in The Times that Starmer "has lost the country" and should oversee an orderly transition.
  • Lou Haigh (Former Cabinet minister): Stated, "Unless the government delivers significant and urgent change, the prime minister cannot lead us into another election."

Concerns Without Calls for Resignation

Other senior party figures have not called for his resignation but expressed concern:

  • Angela Rayner (Former Deputy Prime Minister): Wrote on X, "What we are doing isn't working, and it needs to change. This may be the Labour Party's last chance." She also accused Starmer of presiding over a "toxic culture of cronyism."
  • David Lammy (Deputy Prime Minister): Cautioned against removing Starmer, saying, "You don’t change the pilot during the flight."
  • Bridget Phillipson (Education Secretary): Said she did not believe "a leadership contest and all of the problems that that would bring is the answer."
  • Liz Kendall (Technology Secretary): Stated, "He's not going to go. People want us focused on their jobs and their future, not our jobs and our future."

Potential leadership challengers identified in reports include Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

Background

Prime Minister Starmer led the Labour Party to a landslide general election victory in July 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. His government has since faced challenges in delivering economic growth and easing the cost of living, alongside criticism over policy U-turns. The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington has also been a source of controversy, linked in reports to Mandelson's connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.