British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to remain in office and continue pursuing his reform agenda after Labour suffered significant setbacks in local and devolved elections across the United Kingdom (UK).
The results, announced following voting in England, Scotland and Wales, showed a sharp decline in support for Labour just two years after the party won a landslide general election victory. The losses were particularly notable in traditional Labour strongholds, including parts of London, northern England and Wales.
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The biggest gains went to the populist Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage, which secured more than 1,000 council seats in England. The party also emerged as a major force in Scotland and Wales, signalling a wider shift in British politics towards a more fragmented, multi-party system.
British Prime Minster Keir Starmer has vowed to stay on as Labour leader after the party’s poor performance in the May 7 local elections. #WorldNow pic.twitter.com/yQuzCZJxZK
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) May 9, 2026
Early results indicated that both Labour and the Conservative Party are losing ground not only to Reform UK, but also to the Green Party and regional nationalist movements, reflecting growing voter dissatisfaction with traditional politics.
Speaking after the results, Starmer acknowledged the scale of Labour’s losses but insisted he would not step down. “I am not going to walk away,” he said, adding that his government had made “unnecessary mistakes” but remained focused on delivering change.
He argued that voters were frustrated with the pace of reform rather than rejecting Labour entirely, and pledged to intensify efforts to address economic pressures, including the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Despite internal criticism from some Labour lawmakers calling for a leadership review, senior ministers rejected the idea of an immediate challenge, warning it could create political instability.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the results as a “historic shift” in British politics, while analysts noted that the outcome marked one of the most significant realignments in voter behaviour in decades.
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Financial markets responded positively to Starmer’s reassurance, with sterling strengthening slightly and government borrowing costs easing. Political observers say the results underscore a deepening fragmentation of Britain’s political landscape ahead of the next general election expected in 2029.