British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said today that he will not resign after the difficult elections in which the ruling Labour Party suffered major losses, and the far-right formation “Reform UK” The local and regional elections are seen as an unofficial test of Starmer's leadership, whose popularity has plummeted since his Labour Party came to power less than two years ago. After 14 years of Conservative rule, voters were eager for economic growth and drastic change, and many Labour lawmakers are frustrated by the government's inability to deliver. Starmer said he took responsibility for the "very difficult results" but would not resign. "Voters sent a message about the pace of change and how they want their lives to be improved," he said. "I was elected to meet these challenges and I will not run away from them and throw the country into chaos," the British prime minister added.
“Reform UK”, led by veteran nationalist Nigel Farage, won hundreds of local council seats in working-class areas of the English North, such as Hartlepool, which was once a Labour stronghold, and also saw gains in traditionally Conservative areas such as Havering in the east end of London.
Farage said the results marked a “historic shift in British politics”.
“Reform UK” has taken away support from both Labour and the Conservatives, it became clear after the results were counted in England.
Votes in the semi-autonomous parliaments of Scotland and Wales have also been counted.
The defeat of the Labour Party in this election could trigger action by the party's rebellious MPs to remove the leader, who won a landslide victory in the July 2024 election. Even if Stammer survives now, many analysts doubt that he will lead the party in the next national election, which is due to take place in 2029.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy warned the party not to remove the prime minister, warning that “you don't change pilots in flight”.
Labour lost votes to “Reform UK”, which sent an anti-establishment, anti-immigration message, as well as from the Green Party, whose popularity grew under the self-described “eco-populist” leader Zach Polanski.
The Greens have defeated Labour in the mayoral race in the London borough of Hackney and are hoping to win hundreds of seats on local councils in city centres and university towns.
The Conservative Party is also losing support, while the centrist Liberal Democrats are making some gains.
Analysts said the election showed that mainstream parties were struggling to “respond to populists on the left and right who seem to offer painless and simple solutions to intractable political and economic problems.”
But the results also reflect the fragmentation of British politics after decades of Labour and Conservative dominance, making next year’s national election difficult to predict.
“Reform UK” It also made gains in Scotland and Wales, although the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Plaid Cymru Party are likely to form governments in Edinburgh and Cardiff. The SNP is expected to win the majority of seats in Edinburgh, where it has held the seat since 2007. Labour has admitted it has lost control of Wales, where it is likely to come in third place behind the Welsh Party and Reform UK. It is a major blow, as Labour has dominated Welsh politics for a century and has led the Cardiff-based government since it was established in 1999, the AP noted.
The results could also lead to governments in Scotland and Wales led by parties determined to ultimately leave the United Kingdom.
Starmer's popularity has plummeted after repeated missteps and policy reversals such as social security reform, the AP noted.
His government has struggled to deliver promised economic growth and lower the cost of living - tasks made more difficult by the US-Israeli war against Iran, which has blocked oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
The prime minister's approval ratings were further hit by his disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson - Jeffrey Epstein's scandalous friend - as Britain's ambassador to Washington.