Reform UK surges as Labour suffers heavy local-election losses, prompting leadership questions

Early local and devolved results show Labour losing hundreds of council seats (about 338 so far, with 277 won) while Reform UK racks up around 501 seats and could become the main opposition in Scotland and Wales, signaling a fracture of the traditional two-party system. Conservatives also shed seats, Greens and Lib Dems gain, and Labour’s losses hit key northern heartlands like Wigan, Hartlepool, and Salford, prompting renewed pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer. With most results due Friday evening, the political narrative ahead of the next general election remains unsettled and leadership questions loom, though potential successors such as Andy Burnham or Angela Rayner are not yet positioned to mount bids.