Labour Loses Seats in UK Local Elections

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Friday he will remain in office to deliver change after his Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections that delivered gains to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. With about a quarter of votes counted, Starmer took responsibility for the "very tough" results but rejected calls to step down, warning that quitting would plunge the country into chaos.

Reform UK won more than 400 council seats, many in working-class areas of northern England such as Hartlepool that were once reliable Labour territory. The party also picked up seats from the Conservatives in places like Havering on the eastern edge of London, running on an anti-establishment and anti-immigration platform.

" Early counts showed Reform making inroads even in parts of Scotland and Wales, though full results from those regions were still pending.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told supporters that her party is "coming back" despite also losing ground in the elections. She argued that voters who had tried Reform UK in the past were now rejecting it, and she outlined plans to focus on high streets, businesses, veterans, farmers and stamping out antisemitic hatred.

The Conservatives regained control of Westminster City Council from Labour. Badenoch insisted the country needs the Tories to deliver a stronger economy and get Britain working again. Starmer met with Labour members in Ealing, west London, on Friday morning.

He acknowledged that voters had sent a message about the pace of change and their desire for improved lives after 14 years of prior Conservative government.

The results reflect a splintering of the long-dominant two-party system in Britain. Labour lost votes not only to Reform UK on its right but also to the Green Party in urban and university areas. The centrist Liberal Democrats made some gains at the expense of the Conservatives.

He noted that even Reform UK appears unlikely to reach 30 percent nationally, underscoring the fracturing of the political landscape. Labour's losses included control of several councils in former industrial heartlands in central and northern England.

The party now faces pressure from some lawmakers, particularly after poor showings in Scotland and Wales that could renew internal calls for leadership change.

“The voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives improved. I was elected to meet those challenges, and I'm not going to walk away from those challenges and plunge the country into chaos.”

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy urged the party not to oust Starmer, saying one does not change the pilot during the flight. Full results from most councils, including London, were expected later Friday, along with outcomes for the semiautonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales.

The elections, held the day before, are viewed as an important gauge of Starmer's leadership less than two years after Labour's landslide national victory in July 2024. His government's popularity has fallen amid challenges delivering economic growth, repairing public services and managing the cost of living.

Reform UK's advance in Labour heartlands signals voter frustration that could complicate the path to the next general election, which must be held by 2029. The SNP is expected to remain the largest party in Scotland, while Labour risks slipping to third place in Wales behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK.