Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to stay in power despite the crushing losses sustained by the ruling Labour Party in the 2026 municipal elections in the UK as voters swung their support to the populist Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage.
Many considered the local elections as a key test of Starmer’s leadership less than two years after Labour’s massive general election triumph, with the party losing hundreds of council seats in England, including in traditional strongholds in northern and central areas. Reform UK was the greatest winner, picking up more than 350 council seats and making inroads in places that have been Labour heartlands for decades.
Speaking after the results, Starmer dismissed calls for his resignation, saying he will remain at the helm of the administration and focus on delivering the “change” promised to voters. He said the result was “very disappointing” for Labour but said voters’ frustrations were more to do with the slow pace of reforms and economic challenges than an outright rejection of his leadership.
Political observers say the results show British politics becoming increasingly fragmented, with Reform UK, the Green Party, Liberal Democrats and nationalist groups in Scotland and Wales all taking votes away from Labour and the Conservatives that used to go to them. “This is one of the most dramatic shifts in Britain’s political landscape for decades,” said political experts on the election results.
The losses have piled on the pressure on Labour, with some MPs asking if Starmer can lead the party into the next general election, scheduled by 2029. Starmer has the backing of senior ministers like defence secretary John Healey and foreign secretary David Lammy, who warned a leadership contest would lead to more instability.
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Farage meanwhile welcomed the results as a “historic shift” in British politics, adding that Reform UK had proved itself a major national political force that could challenge both Labour and the Conservatives.
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