The ruling Labor Party lost many seats in regional and local elections in Great Britain. In return, the populist Reform UK party triumphs.
May 8, 2026, 6:35 a.mMay 8, 2026, 8:35 a.m
Simon Cleven / t-online
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ruling Labor Party suffered heavy losses in regional and local elections in Great Britain on Friday. Nigel Farage’s populist anti-immigration Reform UK party benefited the most in the vote, gaining more than 225 local council seats in England.
Nigel Farage has reason to be happy.Image: keystone
Initial results showed Labor lost massive support in traditional strongholds in central and northern England and parts of London. This increases the pressure on Starmer, two years after his landslide election victory.
In some regions, Labor came away completely empty-handed. In Tameside, Greater Manchester, the party lost control of the city council for the first time in almost 50 years after Reform UK won all 14 seats up for election. In addition, Labor had to give up 20 seats to Farage’s party in the former mining town of Wigan. The results are devastating, said Labor MP Rebecca Long-Bailey.
Demand for Starmer to resign
In Hartlepool in the north-east of England, Labor lost six seats and thus the majority on the city council. Reform UK, on the other hand, gained eleven seats and is level with Labor at 15 seats.
Jonathan Brash, the city’s Labor MP, then called for Starmer to resign. He hopes that Starmer will resign, but it’s about more than that, Brash told the Guardian: “I think the best thing the Prime Minister could do now would be to give an address to the nation tomorrow and present a timetable for his resignation.” A bolder approach is needed to fundamentally renovate the country.
Calls for Starmer to resign are getting louder.Image: keystone
Labor MP John McDonnell also raised the possibility of Starmer resigning, but worded it more cautiously that night. A possible leadership change “must be on the agenda” if Labor experiences a “nightmare,” the Press Association news agency quoted him as saying.
But there should be “no hasty coup,” said McDonnell. “The party needs to consider why we are in this situation and this discussion should take place at all levels of the party and consider all issues, including why there have been so many policy mistakes that have alienated our electorate.”
Farage triumphs
Reform UK boss Farage said the previous performance far exceeded his expectations and represented a historic change in British politics. Analysts say the elections show that the traditional two-party system is increasingly splitting into a multi-party democracy.
The elections of over 136 local councils in England as well as the regional parliaments in Scotland and Wales are seen as the most important test of sentiment before the next regular general election in 2029. Starmer took office in 2024 with the promise of ensuring stability after years of political chaos. However, his term in office so far has been marked by numerous policy changes and scandals, including the dismissal of British US Ambassador Peter Mandelson because of his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
If Labor also performs poorly in Scotland and Wales, party circles expect that calls for Starmer to resign will become even louder. However, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband on Thursday dismissed a newspaper report that he had advised the prime minister to provide a timetable for his departure.