Labour Loses Over 1,300 Seats in UK Local Elections as Reform UK Gains

Voters in local and regional elections held on Thursday delivered losses for the ruling Labour Party, which recorded a net loss of 1,360 seats in English council elections. Reform UK recorded a net gain of 1,419 seats as of Friday. Results released Friday showed Labour losing control of multiple councils.

In one former industrial stronghold on the outskirts of Manchester, 13 of 20 contested seats went to Reform UK, leaving the council with no overall control.

The elections covered town and district councils as well as seats in the devolved parliaments of Scotland and Wales. Labour also lost ground in Scotland's Holyrood parliament and in Wales, where the first minister lost her seat. In Wales, the nationalist Plaid Cymru secured 43 seats in the Senedd while Reform UK took 34 and Labour managed only nine.

The Green Party gained 498 local seats and won two London mayoral races previously held by Labour. Its leader declared that two-party dominance in British politics was over.

Local councils in many areas now lack a single party in overall control, requiring negotiation and compromise among multiple groups. Keir Starmer has vowed to remain as Britain's prime minister. One newly elected Reform UK councillor said, according to the Christian Science Monitor: "I think people in this town and this borough are fed up and have made their voice very loud and clear at this election.

They’re fed up with the wanton disregard of concerns.

The results do not alter the composition of the national Parliament in Westminster and will have limited direct effect on nationwide policy.