Local election latest as Starmer vows to fight on despite devastating defeats

WorldPolitics
8 May 2026 • 10:09 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Local election latest as Starmer vows to fight on despite devastating defeats

  • Sir Keir Starmer stated he would not resign despite Labour suffering significant losses in the English local elections, including 273 seats and 10 authorities, acknowledging the results were "very tough" and taking responsibility for "unnecessary mistakes."
  • Nigel Farage's Reform UK made substantial gains, securing 469 additional seats and control of three councils, including its first London borough in Havering, with Farage declaring a "truly historic shift in British politics."
  • The Conservatives lost 165 councillors, while the Liberal Democrats gained 23 seats and control of Portsmouth, and the Green Party saw successes, including Zoe Garbett becoming mayor of Hackney, asserting that two-party politics is "dead."
  • Labour faces further challenges with expectations of losing the national vote in Wales for the first time in over a century, potentially reducing their Senedd representation, while the Scottish National Party is set to remain the largest party in Scotland.
  • Despite calls from some within Labour, including Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash, for Sir Keir to set a departure timetable, his defiance helped to ease market concerns, leading to a drop in long-dated government bond yields and a stable pound.

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