Starmer Says He Will Remain UK Prime Minister After Labour Local Election Losses

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday he plans to remain in office and lead Labour into the next general election despite his party's heavy losses in local elections held the day before. "I'm not going to walk away and plunge the country into chaos," Starmer told the BBC.

" The results showed Labour losing more than 1,200 council seats in England. Reform UK took control of councils including Barnsley and made gains at Labour's expense in places such as Bradford. In London, the Greens surged in areas including Lewisham and Lambeth, forcing Labour out of office in the latter for the first time in 20 years.

Cymru won the most seats in the Welsh parliament, ending decades of Labour dominance there. The Scottish National Party secured the largest share in Scotland's devolved parliament. Growth and living standards have stagnated in recent years, with public frustration growing over the slow pace of economic reforms under Labour.

Results highlighted sharp geographic differences. Labour defended 67 percent of its seats in London compared with only 30 percent outside the capital. Reform UK won 43 percent of seats it contested across England but just 5 percent in London. The Greens performed better in the capital, taking 19 percent of seats they contested there versus 10 percent elsewhere.

Starmer has turned toward advocating closer EU ties as a central part of his revival plan. He told the Sunday Mirror he would be "full-throated" about the need for stronger relations with Brussels while continuing his 10-year project of national renewal.

Former junior minister Catherine West called on cabinet members to challenge Starmer's leadership by Monday or she would seek the 80 nominations needed to trigger a contest. " West said she currently has support from 10 MPs but is confident more will come forward.

Labour Party rules require 20 percent of MPs, or 81 nominations, to force a leadership election. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson rejected West's ultimatum, saying she had "got this completely wrong" and did not believe West could secure the necessary backing.

Downing Street is attempting to downplay the challenge while Starmer has recruited veterans including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Baroness Harriet Harman to help stabilize his position. Some senior ministers have expressed private concern that former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner could launch a challenge as early as next week.

Brown, who led from 2007 to 2010 and served as finance minister from 1997 to 2007, was credited with helping coordinate the international response to the global financial crisis. His new role will focus on building international finance partnerships to support defense and security-related investment, including measures that strengthen the UK's relationship with Europe.

The appointment comes as bond markets reacted positively to Starmer's insistence he would not resign, with yields on 10-year UK government gilts falling 4 basis points to 4.904 percent on Friday. The local election results will not alter the composition of the UK parliament or the current government.

They do, however, reflect broader voter dissatisfaction with Labour less than a year after the party returned to power. Starmer faces pressure to address voter frustration over the pace of change. Reform UK's anti-immigration message has resonated in parts of England, while other voters have turned to the Greens or pro-independence parties in Wales and Scotland.

The political landscape now features at least five significant parties competing for support, raising questions about the future of the traditional two-party system.