Starmer under pressure to agree exit plan after Labour local election losses

Keir Starmer is facing the most serious threat to his leadership after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections across England, Scotland and Wales, with senior MPs urging the prime minister to agree an exit plan and step down within a year.

Labour lost control of 25 English councils and suffered defeats in the Welsh Senedd elections, while Reform UK led by Nigel Farage made significant gains. The results represent a sharp voter backlash against a Labour government that has been in power for less than two years.

The results

Labour’s share of the vote in the English local elections fell sharply compared with the 2024 general election. The party lost ground in its traditional northern strongholds and failed to make inroads in southern target areas. Reform UK picked up seats across multiple regions, splitting the right-of-centre vote but also drawing former Labour voters in working-class areas.

In Wales, Labour lost seats in the Senedd, a historically safe region for the party. The Welsh results were described by senior party figures as a wake-up call. The Scottish parliament elections also delivered losses for Labour, with the SNP retaining its position and Reform winning its first seats in Holyrood.

Pressure on Starmer

Senior Labour MPs have begun privately urging Starmer to set a timeline for his departure. The prime minister has said he takes responsibility for the results but has refused to step down immediately, arguing that he remains the best person to lead the party into the next general election.

The scale of the losses has reopened internal party divisions that had been largely suppressed since Starmer took over from Jeremy Corbyn in 2020. Left-wing MPs have been the most vocal in calling for change, but some moderate figures have also expressed concern about the party’s direction.

Reform UK surge

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK capitalised on widespread voter dissatisfaction, winning council seats across England and securing its first representatives in the Scottish Parliament. The party ran on a platform of tighter immigration controls, lower taxes, and criticism of the government’s net-zero policies.

The results confirm Reform UK as a lasting force in British politics rather than a protest vote phenomenon. Farage said the results showed the two-party system was “splintering” and called on Starmer to call a general election.

Conservative position

The Conservative Party under Kemi Badenoch also suffered losses but performed better than some polls had predicted. Badenoch claimed the Tories were “coming back” after winning back Westminster council from Labour in London, though the party lost ground in other areas.

The results leave all three major parties with reasons for concern. Labour has lost voter confidence after less than two years in office. Reform has momentum but limited local government experience. The Conservatives are still recovering from their 2024 general election defeat.

What happens next

Starmer’s immediate priority is managing the internal party reaction. A formal leadership challenge requires a threshold of MP nominations under Labour Party rules, and no challenger has yet come forward publicly. But the private pressure is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

The next major electoral test for Labour is the 2027 general election, assuming the government serves a full term. If internal pressure continues to build, Starmer may be forced to agree a transition timeline similar to the one that ended Tony Blair’s premiership in 2007.