Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the preliminary results of the local elections “harsh“, reports The Guardian.
“The results are harsh, very harsh and there is no need to embellish“, he said during a speech at the “Kingsdown“ Methodist Church in Ealing, West London,
Starmer also noted that the United Kingdom has lost “brilliant people“ in the Labour Party who have done so much for their communities and the party.
“It hurts and it should hurt, and I take responsibility. When voters send us this message, we must think and react“, the prime minister added.
According to him, the vast majority of Britons recognize the problems facing the United Kingdom, but still want improvements in their lives and the changes promised by the Labour Party.
Starmer's Labour Party suffered serious losses in local elections in England, as well as in the parliaments of Scotland and Wales. Against this background, the prime minister may be asked to resign, Reuters reports, citing sources.
The agency notes that according to preliminary results, the Labour Party has lost a significant part of its support. The main beneficiary was the right-wing formation "Reform UK" Nigel Farage's party, which won more than 300 county council seats across England.
“The situation has turned out to be as bad as expected, or even worse“, pollster John Curtis said, according to Reuters.
In England, local elections cover 136 local authorities – including councils in all 32 London boroughs, 32 metropolitan boroughs (districts) across England, 18 unitary authorities, six county councils and 48 district councils. In addition to councillors, six mayors – the leaders of local councils – will also be directly elected on Thursday. A total of 5,066 seats.
Some MPs told the agency that if the party performs poorly in Scotland, loses power in Wales and fails to retain seats on local councils in England, Starmer could be called on to resign.
Reuters reports that according to preliminary results, the traditional two-party system is collapsing in Britain, which analysts say is one of the biggest transformations in British politics in the last 100 years. The previously dominant Labour and Conservative parties lost votes to Farage's party and the Green Party.
According to Nigel Farage, the current results represent a “historic shift in British politics“.
Pollers predict that Labour could lose the largest number of local council seats since former Conservative Prime Minister John Major lost more than 2,000 in 1995 due to corruption scandals.
According to preliminary results, "Reform UK" is winning 335 seats on county councils in England. The Labour Party lost 247 seats, while the Conservative Party lost 127.
Starmer was elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2024. He was expected to bring stability after years of political chaos, Reuters notes.
However, his tenure has seen a number of sharp political upheavals, including frequent changes of advisers and the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, who was dismissed nine months after his appointment due to his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
After the publication of the preliminary results, Starmer's allies said that now was not the time to turn against him. "I think he's still capable of a lot, he can still turn things around," Defence Secretary John Healy told the Times, noting that the last thing voters want right now is "the potential chaos that could arise from a leadership election."
The Guardian earlier reported that "Reform UK" won the UK local elections on May 1, significantly increasing its representation in local government.