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Keir Starmer's party lost big in U.K. local elections. Here's what comes next.

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− By Chandelis Duster Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks, during a meeting with leaders from across society to discuss tackling antisemitism, at Downing Street in London, Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
+ By Chandelis Duster Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks, during a meeting with leaders from across society to discuss tackling antisemitism, at Downing Street in London, on May 5.
− Hannah McKay/AP/Pool Reuters hide caption U.K.
+ Hannah McKay/Pool Reuters via AP hide caption U.K.
− Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour party suffered major losses in elections held across Britain last week, resulting in multiple calls for Starmer to resign.
+ Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour Party suffered major losses in local and regional elections held across Britain last week, resulting in multiple calls for Starmer to resign.
− The historic losses are a reflection of the growing unpopularity of Starmer's tenure, which has been beset by a weak economy, backlash over his appointment of an ambassador with ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and a surge in antisemitism that has been declared a "national emergency." Consider This from NPR What's driving an increase in antisemitism in the United Kingdom?
+ The defeat is a reflection of the growing unpopularity of Starmer's tenure, which has been beset by a weak economy, backlash over his appointment of an ambassador with ties to Jeffrey Epstein and a surge in antisemitism that the government has declared a "national emergency." Consider This from NPR What's driving an increase in antisemitism in the United Kingdom?
Starmer and his center-left Labour Party swept to power and defeated the center-right Conservative Party in July 2024. But less than two years later, Labour lost the most seats of any party in last week's regional elections.
− While Labour faltered, right-wing populist Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage – a Trump ally and central figure in the Brexit movement – made significant gains.
+ While Labour faltered, right-wing populist Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage — an ally of President Trump and central figure in the Brexit movement — made significant gains.
− Other groups, particularly the left wing Green Party, also recorded notable wins.
+ Other groups, particularly the left-wing Green Party, also recorded notable wins.
As well as demonstrating voter dissatisfaction with Starmer, the local election results show that the United Kingdom, traditionally a two-party system, now has at least five major political forces. All will now be hoping to make gains in the general election, which will be held before May 2029. Here is what to know. About 5,000 seats were up for grabs across 136 council elections on Thursday. The Labour Party won just over 1,000 of the seats that were contested, losing more than 1,100 seats that it had previously held. Meanwhile, the right-wing populist Reform UK party gained more than 1,400 seats. Consider This from NPR How the Epstein files are upending U.K. politics Other parties recorded smaller wins, with the Green Party gaining more than 300 seats and the Liberal Democrats more than 150.
− The Conservative Party – traditionally Britain's other dominant political force alongside Labour – also performed badly, losing over 500 seats.
+ The Conservative Party — traditionally Britain's other dominant political force alongside Labour — also performed badly, losing over 500 seats.
These were regional elections, meaning voters chose which politicians they wanted to represent them in their local area. However, they were also sending a message to the ruling Labour party about how they feel the country is being run. Starmer took responsibility for the Labour Party's defeat. "Let me be clear, these are really tough results, I'm not going to sugar-coat it," he told reporters.
− Following the local election setbacks, the Prime Minister has faced calls to resign or to set a timetable to vacate his leadership position, including from members of his own Labour Party.
+ Following the local election setbacks, the prime minister has faced calls to resign or to set a timetable to vacate his leadership position, including from members of his own Labour Party.
"The Prime Minister needs to go.
− That is not negotiable," Clive Lewis, the Labour Member of Parliament for Norwich South wrote on social media on Friday night.
+ That is not negotiable," Clive Lewis, the Labour member of Parliament for Norwich South, wrote on social media on Friday night.
− Other Labour MPs have since followed suit.
+ Other Labour lawmakers have since followed suit.
But in an interview on Sunday, Starmer described his government as a "10-year project of renewal", and said he planned to lead his government into the next election.
− The Prime Minister said he was "not going to walk away," and added: "I'm not going to plunge the country into chaos." Later on Sunday, influential Labour figure Angela Rayner, who was previously deputy leader of the party under Starmer, posted on social media site X that Labour needed take "immediate action to cut costs for households and put money back into the everyday economy." "What we are doing isn't working, and it needs to change," she said.
+ The prime minister said he was "not going to walk away," and added: "I'm not going to plunge the country into chaos." Later on Sunday, influential Labour figure Angela Rayner, who was previously deputy leader of the party under Starmer, posted on social media that Labour needed to take "immediate action to cut costs for households and put money back into the everyday economy." "What we are doing isn't working, and it needs to change," she said.
− "This may be our last chance." Britain's Reform Party leader Nigel Farage enjoys an ice-cream after casting his vote at a polling station in Walton on the Naze, England, Thursday, May 7, 2026.
+ "This may be our last chance." Britain's Reform Party leader Nigel Farage enjoys an ice cream after casting his vote at a polling station in Walton on the Naze, England, on May 7.
− Richard Pelham/AP hide caption Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage celebrated his party's victories, writing in a newspaper column that they signalled an "end of the old establishment's two-party system". Reform recorded victories across the country, taking over Essex county council in the south, Havering – its first London local authority – and the northern English city of Sunderland.
+ Richard Pelham/AP hide caption Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Farage celebrated his party's victories, writing in a newspaper column that they signaled an "end of the old establishment's two-party system." Reform recorded victories across the country, taking over Essex county council in the south, Havering — its first London local authority — and the northern English city of Sunderland.
Farage has been a major force in U.K. politics for many years, successfully campaigning to get Britain to leave the European Union a decade ago.
− His anti-immigration rhetoric has struck a chord with some voters, and made him a some-time ally of Donald Trump.
+ His anti-immigration rhetoric has struck a chord with some voters, and made him a sometime ally of Trump.
In recent weeks, Farage has faced criticism for taking millions of pounds in personal donations from Thailand-based crypto-currency billionaire Christopher Harborne, but that didn't stop his party making impressive gains. While it was Reform who made the most progress, the left wing Green Party also made major gains, taking over several local authorities in London that had long been Labour strongholds, including Hackney and Lambeth.
− The Green Party has historically placed the environment at the top of its agenda, but in recent months, it has also become favoured by voters who feel that Labour has not been progressive enough in its policies.
+ The Green Party has historically placed the environment at the top of its agenda, but in recent months, it has also become favored by voters who feel that Labour has not been progressive enough in its policies.
As well as votes being cast across England, local elections were also held in Scotland and Wales. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party won the most seats, for the fifth election in a row, while Labour again performed poorly. Wales has been a Labour heartland for decades, known for its coal mines and working class voters. However, in last week's elections, the Labour vote collapsed, and it was the Plaid Cymru party who won the most seats across Wales. Plaid Cymru are a pro-independence party, who believe that Wales should be self-governed – leaving the United Kingdom and becoming a separate country.
− Plaid Cymru's victory in last week's elections means that all three regions of the United Kingdom outside England – Northern Ireland, Scotland and now Wales – will now be governed by nationalist, pro-independence parties.
+ Plaid Cymru's victory in last week's elections means that all three regions of the United Kingdom outside England — Northern Ireland, Scotland and now Wales — will now be governed by nationalist, pro-independence parties.
The rise of Plaid Cymru feeds into a general picture of a divided United Kingdom, in which Keir Starmer's Labour party have lost ground, and multiple parties are hoping to make gains at the next general election. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor