Labour Loses Over 1,000 Council Seats as Reform UK Gains Nearly 1,300 in UK Local Elections

Local and regional elections held across England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday resulted in Labour losing more than 1,000 seats on councils in England. In Wales, Labour lost control of the Senedd after 27 years in power. Reform UK gained almost 1,300 seats in England, finished second in Wales, and recorded gains in Scotland.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would “listen to voters” and pledged to revive his government. According to reports citing his remarks on Saturday, Starmer stated he had “no plans to quit” and added, “The right thing to do is rebuild and show the path forward. That’s what I’m going to do in the coming days.”

Starmer appointed former Prime Minister Gordon Brown as a special envoy on global finance and former deputy leader Harriet Harman as an adviser on women and girls. He is scheduled to deliver a speech on Monday. The government will set out its legislative plans on Wednesday when King Charles III delivers the speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

Reform UK holds eight of the 650 seats in the UK Parliament. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party secured another term in government but fell short of an overall majority, with Labour and Reform tied for a distant second. In Wales, Plaid Cymru won the most seats in the Senedd but without a majority; it is expected to form the next government.

Reform UK placed second there while Labour finished a distant third.

Outgoing First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat. Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth spoke on the steps of the Senedd about Wales’ future. The Green Party gained hundreds of council seats from Labour, particularly in urban centres and university towns, and took control of several local authorities.

Labour had ousted the Conservatives in the 2024 general election. The next national election is due by 2029. Turnout figures and exact vote shares for the local contests were not detailed in reporting on the results.