Reform UK surges as Labour loses hundreds of seats in local elections

Labour Suffers Heavy Losses as Reform UK Surges in UK Local Elections

Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed he would “not walk away” on Friday as early results from England’s local elections revealed a punishing night for the Labour Party, with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK making dramatic gains across the country’s traditional Labour heartlands.

A Night of Losses

With results declared from more than 40 of the 136 English councils by early Friday morning, Labour had lost more than 235 council seats and control of at least eight councils, according to Sky News. Reform UK gained over 320 seats in early counts, making inroads in areas across northern and central England including Tameside, Hartlepool, and Wigan. The Conservatives also suffered, losing more than 140 seats.the-independent

Speaking after the initial wave of results, Starmer said he was “hurt” by the losses but insisted he would continue as Labour leader. “I’m not going to walk away,” he told supporters. The scale of the defeat had been widely anticipated — pre-election polls showed Labour’s national support had collapsed to around 17%, down from the levels that delivered a landslide general election victory in July 2024.kucoin

Reform’s Breakthrough

Reform UK’s gains represent a continuation of the party’s upward trajectory since last year’s local elections. Farage hailed the results as evidence of “historic change” in British politics. The party, which leads national polls at around 29%, turned Labour’s former strongholds into competitive territory, winning seats in councils across the industrial north and Midlands.irishtimes

Analysts had forecast that Reform could gain more than 1,000 seats once all English results are tallied, with some projections suggesting Labour could lose as many as 1,500 of the roughly 2,500 seats it was defending.newstatesman

Eyes Turn to Scotland and Wales

Results from the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd elections, held on the same day, are expected later on Friday. In Wales, YouGov’s final projection forecast the end of Labour’s century-long dominance, with the party falling to third place on just 12% of the vote — its worst result in Wales since 1906. Plaid Cymru is projected to lead with 43 seats, followed by Reform UK on 34.yougov

The results are likely to intensify questions about Starmer’s political future. Labour MPs had already been discussing a potential leadership challenge in recent weeks, though most acknowledged there was no clear alternative candidate ready to replace him. With the next general election not due until 2029, Starmer faces a long road to rebuild the party’s standing — if he survives that long.bbc