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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer experienced significant early setbacks in local elections on Friday, highlighting widespread voter dissatisfaction with his administration and casting doubt on his leadership just two years after a decisive general election victory.
Support for Starmer’s Labour Party plummeted in key areas overnight, including traditional strongholds in former industrial regions of central and northern England, as well as some parts of London.
The biggest gains went to the anti-immigration populist Reform UK, led by Brexit supporter Nigel Farage, which captured over 200 council seats across England. Reform UK could emerge as the primary opposition in Scotland and Wales, challenging the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru, which favor independence.
“Things have been pretty much as bad as anyone predicted for Labour—possibly worse,” said John Curtice, a leading polling expert in Britain.
The elections for 136 local councils across England, alongside votes in the devolved Scottish and Welsh parliaments, serve as a major gauge of public opinion ahead of the next general election, scheduled for 2029.
Party officials within Labour stated that if the party underperforms in Scotland, loses control of Welsh councils, and fails to defend many of the roughly 2,500 seats it currently holds in England, then Starmer could face increasing pressure to step down or set a timetable for his departure.
Fragmentation of Britain’s Traditional Two-Party System
Early results indicated a continued breakdown of Britain’s once-stable two-party system, signaling one of the most significant political shifts in the country in a century.
The once-dominant Labour and Conservative parties are losing votes to Reform UK and the Green Party on the left, which advocates for environmental policies, while nationalist parties are poised to secure victories in Scotland and Wales.
Farage remarked that the results exceeded expectations and signaled a “historic change in British politics.”
In many key results, Labour suffered heavy losses. The party lost control of Tameside Council in Greater Manchester for the first time in nearly five decades, with Reform UK claiming all 14 seats Labour was defending. Similarly, Labour lost every one of the 20 seats it was defending in Wigan, a former mining town that has been under Labour control for over 50 years. In Salford, Labour holds just three out of 16 seats it was contesting.
“These losses are soul-destroying,” said Rebecca Long-Bailey, a Labour Member of Parliament representing Salford.
While mid-term election losses are typical for incumbent governments, polling suggests Labour could suffer its worst seat loss since 1995, when Prime Minister John Major’s government lost over 2,000 council seats amid widespread scandal.
Reform UK added 253 council seats in England, with results pending in over 4,200 seats. Labour lost 185 seats, and the Conservatives dropped by 93.
Most results—including those from Scottish and Welsh elections—are expected to be announced later on Friday.
Scandals and Policy Reversals Weaken Starmer’s Authority
Starmer, a former lawyer, was elected in 2024 with one of the largest parliamentary majorities in recent British history, promising stability amid political chaos, rather than charisma.
However, his tenure has been marred by numerous policy reversals, a revolving door of advisers, and the controversial appointment and subsequent firing of Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to the United States, due to links to convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer maintains he will lead Labour into the next election, and the party has never successfully ousted a sitting prime minister in its 125-year history.
The current political landscape is slightly tilted in Starmer’s favor, as the two leading contenders to succeed him—Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and ex-Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner—are currently not positioned to mount a challenge. Additionally, potential rivals seem hesitant to challenge him at this time.
Energy Minister Ed Miliband dismissed reports from The Times suggesting he advised Starmer to consider setting a departure timetable from Downing Street.
Political Uncertainty Persists
Despite the setbacks, Starmer’s leadership remains intact for now, though the wave of losses in local elections underscores ongoing political instability and the challenge of uniting a fractured electorate.
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