Reform UK takes control of Sunderland City Council

Labour ran the council for more than 50 years but a new raft of Reform councillors are now in power.

SNP, Scotland’s Pro-Independence Party, Benefits From Labour’s Struggles With Voters

The unpopularity of Keir Starmer’s party since he became Britain’s prime minister has helped boost the Scottish National Party.

By Michael D. Shear

Keir Starmer hangs on as Andy Burnham lies in wait

Terrible night at the polls marks opportunity for the Greater Manchester mayor, who could be back in Westminster ‘in months’, say allies

UK PM says he 'takes responsibility' for Labour losses in local elections

By 8 am local time, Nigel Farage's anti-immigrant Reform UK had gained over 350 seats, while Labour under Keir Starmer had lost over 240 across 40 of the 136 English councils to announce results so far.

Reform wins across northern England overturn decades of Labour control

Sunderland, Barnsley, Gateshead and South Tyneside among councils reporting gains for Farage’s party • Full results from England, Scotland and Wales Nigel Farage chose Sunderland for the launch of Reform UK’s local election campaign because, he said, it was where he had first sensed the “big political earthquake” underfoot. A decade ago next month, the city was the first to declare its vote in the Brexit referendum – a thumping 61% opting to leave the EU – and the aftershocks are still being...

By Josh Halliday North of England editor

Trump ally Nigel Farage deals major blow to Starmer in local UK elections as resignation calls mount

Labour suffers major losses in British local elections as Reform UK surges, prompting multiple Labour MPs to call for PM Keir Starmer's resignation.

‘Leader of the pack’: What next as Reform UK makes huge election gains?

Keir Starmer's Labour has suffered a humiliating blow as the hard right makes sweeping gains.

Cost of living crunch hurts UK PM Starmer in local elections

Early local election results in the U.K. indicate a backlash against the government, as cost of living pressures have once again dominated political discourse.

Defiant Starmer digs in after UK Labour’s local election drubbing

Prime Minister ⁠Keir Starmer vowed on Friday to fight on to deliver on his promise to bring “change” to Britain after his Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local election that deepened doubts over his ability to govern. Just under two years after winning a landslide national election, Starmer saw voters punish his Labour government, dealing it a blow in some of its traditional strongholds in former industrial regions in central and northern England. The main beneficiary was the populist...

By Reuters

Labour suffers losses across the UK as Reform surges: “Starmer’s survival depends on improvement”

Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure after Labour’s bruising local election results. The party lost hundreds of council seats in England, fell behind Plaid Cymru in Wales as Reform UK surged, and continued to struggle in Scotland where the Scottish National Party remains dominant. Reform UK has made major gains across England, Wales and Scotland, raising fresh questions over Starmer’s leadership and Labour’s direction. France 24’s Gavin Lee is joined by Tom Ba...

By Gavin LEE

The Senedd results are disastrous for Labour – but the writing’s been on the wall for months

First minister Eluned Morgan has lost her seat and resigned as Reform UK and Plaid Cymru make epic gains across the country

By Holly Evans

Reform UK sees big gains as Labour gets hammered in local elections in England

Reform UK has emerged as a major force in English local elections, securing the most council seats and taking control of its first London council. This surge, alongside significant losses for Labour and Conservatives, signals a potential shift to a five-party political landscape. Labour faces historical setbacks, with its leader under pressure amid widespread voter dissatisfaction.

By NAOMI CANTON

There is still hope for Labour

If not for Keir Starmer

By Anoosh Chakelian

First Minister of Wales loses seat in Senedd election

Eluned Morgan, the First Minister of Wales, has lost her seat in the Senedd in a dire set of elections for Welsh Labour.

Competing giveaways, collapsing trust

Predictably, the first week and a half of the 2026 general elections brought an avalanche of feel-good proposals designed to tempt key demographics to extend their support for one party or another. The governing Labour Party appears to have gone all in, announcing headline-grabbing proposals like interest-free property loans for first-time buyers, longer parental leave, … Continued

By Julian Delia

Keir Starmer vows to fight on despite Labour’s heavy losses in local elections

Keir Starmer pledges to fight on despite Labour’s losses in local elections, but doubts over his leadership grow.

English elections see Labour Party punished and gains for right-wing Reform

Partial results from local elections held yesterday in England show big losses for the governing Labour Party and gains for the anti-immigration Reform UK, fuelling doubts over Prime Minister Keir Starmer's future just two years after he was elected in a landslide victory.

By RFI

Starmer says he will not resign after Labour’s local election losses; Farage says Reform on course for general election win

Keir Starmer insisted he would carry on as UK Prime Minister despite Labour suffering disastrous local election losses.

Five key things to know from the UK election results so far - the main one, it's Reform's day

The results so far seem to show that the two-party political system in the UK may well be a thing of the past.

Love Labour’s lost: where does the party go from here?

Following substantial losses in local elections, either a ‘bloody civil war’ or a change of direction could be on the cards

By Will Barker, The Week UK

UK's Labour Party punished in local elections, populist Reform gains

Labour lost support in areas including traditional strongholds of central, northern England, some parts of London

By Reuters

England Is Splitting Apart as Labour Collapses

Labour, as many anticipated, is suffering an epic wipeout per early UK elections results. What might come next?

By Yves Smith

Keir Starmer vows to “stamp out ticket touts for good” and “make this happen as soon as possible”

"We will protect fans so they can keep more of their hard-earned cash," the Prime Minister has promised in a letter to fans shared exclusively on NME The post Keir Starmer vows to “stamp out ticket touts for good” and “make this happen as soon as possible” appeared first on NME.

By Laura Molloy

Reform surge rocks Labour as Starmer takes blame but refuses to quit

Britain’s Labour government faced a sharp political setback on Friday as early local election results pointed to heavy losses across councils, while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surged...

Major victory for Farage and Reform UK in Britain’s local elections – Heavy losses for Starmer’s Labour Party

A major victory for patriotic positions and against the woke policies implemented by Keir Starmer’s government, which is seen as being in decline The post Major victory for Farage and Reform UK in Britain’s local elections – Heavy losses for Starmer’s Labour Party appeared first on ProtoThema English.

By Newsroom

Early UK local election results point to big losses for Starmer’s Labour Party 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced the most precarious moment of his premiership on Friday as early election results signalled a historic realignment of the British political landscape. With his Labour Party suffering sweeping losses across its traditional heartlands, a resurgent hard-right Reform UK and an ascending Green Party have shattered the long-standing dominance of […]

By Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie