Starmer pledges to press on as Labour reels from local election losses

Keir Starmer says he will remain prime minister despite Labour suffering heavy local-election losses across the north and Midlands, with calls for his resignation coming from some MPs. Reform UK makes significant gains, including taking Havering in London, underscoring a fragmentation of two-party politics. Labour held some London councils but lost others like Wandsworth and Westminster, while its cabinet remains loyal. Starmer accepts responsibility and plans to set out a renewed policy agenda in forthcoming speeches ahead of the king’s address, aiming to move closer to the EU to win back voters.