- Labour suffered significant losses in local elections across England and Wales on Friday, losing hundreds of councillor seats and control of several councils, including historic northern heartlands and key London boroughs.
- In Wales, Labour faced a crushing defeat, with First Minister Eluned Morgan losing her Senedd seat, and Plaid Cymru emerging as the largest party with 43 seats compared to Labour's nine.
- Reform UK celebrated substantial gains, taking control of Essex County Council and increasing their councillor count significantly, with Nigel Farage declaring they had “crushed the 'red wall' and the blue wall”.
- The Green Party also achieved notable success, winning the Hackney mayoral election from Labour and making considerable gains in councillor numbers across the country.
- Following the disappointing results, several Labour MPs publicly called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign, though he stated he would not walk away, and some cabinet ministers voiced support for his continued leadership.
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