PM Responds to Difficult Local Election Outcomes
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged that Labour's "tough" local election results in England "hurt" but emphasized that "days like this don't weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised".
Counting has concluded in 46 of the 136 councils, revealing early results where Labour has lost over 250 seats.
The Conservative Party also experienced losses, while Reform UK had a strong performance, securing more than 350 council seats and gaining control of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Havering.
The Green Party made some advances, though most of their targeted seats have yet to finish counting. The Liberal Democrats won control of Stockport and Portsmouth but lost Hull to Reform UK.
Vote counting is ongoing in Scotland and Wales for parliamentary seats.
Labour Faces Potential Loss of Control in Wales
In Wales, Labour is anticipated to lose control of the Senedd, ending its 27-year governance in the region.
The party’s poor election performance is expected to intensify questions regarding Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, which have been mounting over recent months.
Local Impact and Voter Sentiment
Sharon Hoffman, the sole remaining Labour councillor in Hull after Reform UK won 10 seats on the council, stated that the national Labour government had "done us a lot of damage".
"People on the door when we were knocking were saying: 'We think you're a great councillor, we really support you, but we cannot support Labour'.
People mentioned that they would not vote for Keir Starmer or for anybody that represented Keir Starmer."
Prime Minister’s Statement
Speaking in Ealing, west London, Sir Keir said:
"The results are tough, they are very tough, and there's no sugar-coating it.
We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country, these are people who put so much into their communities, so much into our party.
And that hurts, and it should hurt, and I take responsibility."
When asked if he would resign, he responded:
"I'm not going to walk away and plunge the country into chaos."
Labour Leadership and Party Reactions
Defence Secretary John Healey expressed confidence that the prime minister could "still turn this around," while Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper cautioned against a "knee-jerk reaction" to the election results.
Some Labour MPs are hopeful that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham might return to Westminster as an MP to challenge Sir Keir for the party leadership. Earlier this year, Burnham was blocked from standing as an MP, but some supporters anticipate that Labour’s ruling body, the NEC, might reconsider.
Consequently, some MPs critical of the prime minister may delay calls for his resignation until Burnham is positioned to initiate a leadership contest.
Reform UK’s Historic Gains
Nigel Farage described the results as a "truly historic shift in British politics." Speaking in Havering, the Reform leader noted that voters traditionally think in terms of left and right, but his party succeeded in both Conservative and Labour strongholds.
He stated that Reform’s achievements could no longer be dismissed as "a fluke or a protest vote." Asked about Reform’s approach to local government, he said:
"We all know the finances of local councils are severely stretched - we are not promising miracles but we are promising value for money."
Regarding Sir Keir’s future, Farage joked:
"Personally I would be very sad to see the prime minister go - he is the greatest asset we have got."
Conservative Party Performance
Like Labour, the Conservatives lost councillors overnight, with Reform UK capturing former Conservative strongholds such as Brentwood, Tamworth, and North East Lincolnshire.
However, the Conservatives had some success in London, regaining control of Westminster from Labour and becoming the largest party in Wandsworth.
Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly acknowledged Reform’s strong performance but argued:
"If you are just going to make some undeliverable promises you can harvest some short term popularity.
What we are doing is the much more professional and arguably slower job of work which is to only promise things we can deliver because we know we need to regain the trust of an increasingly cynical set of voters."
Liberal Democrats’ Mixed Results
The Liberal Democrats gained seats in Portsmouth, Stockport, and Sutton but lost control of Hull council.
The party’s deputy leader Daisy Cooper told the BBC that voters were "fed up" with Labour and seeking alternatives.
"Those who were internationalists, environmentalists and pro-business would vote for the Liberal Democrats."
In a separate statement, she said:
"While those on the populist extremes of left and right just want to pitch groups against each other, Liberal Democrats have a plan to fix what's broken and bring our country together."
Green Party Advances
Overnight, the Green Party of England and Wales increased their average vote share to 18%, a seven-point rise from their 2022 results.
The party has gained 27 councillors so far and aims to secure more as London areas begin declaring results, expected around midday.
Green MP Sian Berry attributed Labour’s losses to voter disappointment and said her party was "picking up their votes."
"People are suffering from cuts to public services and the Greens are offering genuine policies that Labour simply haven't brought in."
for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
