Published On 5/8/2026
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Last update: 10:56 (Mecca time)
Partial results of the local elections in the United Kingdom, on Friday, showed that the Labor Party led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer suffered losses of hundreds of seats, while the far-right “Reform the United Kingdom” party led by Nigel Farage achieved wide gains, especially in the labor areas of northern England.
According to the Associated Press, the Reform UK party won hundreds of local seats in areas such as Hartlepool, which analysts considered an “informal referendum” on Starmer’s performance less than two years after he came to power in July 2024.
In the first government response, Defense Secretary John Healey told Times Radio that Starmer “is still capable of correcting course,” considering that the last thing people want is “the potential chaos of a leadership election.”
warning
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy also warned against attempts to oust Starmer, saying “one does not change the pilot in flight.”
British voters cast their votes on Thursday to choose more than 5,000 members of local councils in England, in addition to members of the semi-autonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales.
These elections came in light of a sharp decline in Starmer’s popularity, as his performance received 70% negative opinions according to a YouGov poll.
The government is facing difficulties in fulfilling promises of economic growth amid the cost of living crisis exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East and the impact of oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Indicators of decline
Opinion polls and preliminary results indicate that the Labor Party may lose up to two thousand seats in England, with the risk of losing control of the Welsh Parliament for the first time since 1998 to the left-wing nationalist Plaid Cymru party.
Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative Party also faces the possibility of losing 600 local seats and losing strongholds to the Reform Party.
Observers believe that these results may prompt rebel legislators within the Labor Party to demand setting a date for Starmer’s departure before the general elections in 2029, in light of the emergence of names nominated to succeed him, such as Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, and Andy Burnham.
