All articles tagged with #reform uk
Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces renewed calls to resign after Labour lost about 1,000 local council seats and was ousted from power in Wales, as Reform UK and the Greens gain ground. While some Labour MPs urge a leadership timetable, Starmer vows to stay and rebuild, with a Monday speech and a State Opening address outlining next steps amid a fragmented political landscape ahead of a potential 2029 general election.
Keir Starmer is under growing pressure to set a departure timetable after Labour's heavy losses in local elections across England and in Wales and Scotland, with Reform UK and Greens gaining ground; while MPs debate his future, top ministers publicly back him and potential successor Andy Burnham is not in Parliament, complicating any leadership challenge; Starmer vowed to fight on, arguing for a broad political movement rather than a simple left-right shift.
Labour and Conservative suffered major losses in England's local elections, signaling a bruising setback for the two-party dominance, while Nigel Farage's Reform UK surged in many areas and called the results a historic shift in British politics; Keir Starmer acknowledged the tough results but pledged to continue, with Green gains minor by comparison and results for Scotland and Wales still counting.
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.
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.
Partial results from the UK’s local elections show Labour losses under Keir Starmer and gains for Reform UK, signaling a shift in local political momentum.
BBC’s Elections 2026 live blog reports counting underway across 46 English councils, with Redditch declaring Labour’s majority lost as Reform gains eight seats to Labour’s one (Greens and Conservatives also shedding). Early key ward results in Peterborough show Lib Dem gains amid rising Reform/Green shares, while Havering, Basildon and Chorley register Reform momentum. Labour ministers warn of difficult results, and Wales’ Senedd contest is shaping up as a potential Labour setback. Counting continues across England, with Scotland and Wales counts due Friday.
Labour is expected to lose control of the Senedd, ending 27 years of Welsh government, with Plaid Cymru and Reform UK in a tight race under Wales’s proportional system; counting begins Friday and a majority is unlikely, potentially triggering leadership questions for Keir Starmer and possible talks on forming the next Welsh government.
Millions of voters in England, Scotland and Wales are casting ballots in local elections that will determine about 5,000 council seats and several mayoralties, with polls showing growing support for the Greens and Reform UK and a tougher outlook for Labour amid economic pressures and a related scandal; results are expected overnight.
President Trump abruptly paused his plan to force an escort mission through the Strait of Hormuz after Saudi Arabia blocked U.S. aircraft and airspace, signaling a retreat under allied pressure. Around the same time, Kamala Harris is quietly weighing another presidential run in 2028 and pushing for the Democratic National Committee to release the party’s postmortem of her 2024 campaign. NBC News also highlights veterans’ and military families’ frustrations with TRICARE’s switch to TriWest, and Reform UK is projected to make significant gains in England, Wales, and Scotland, signaling a shift in Britain’s political landscape.
Britain’s local elections on Thursday could accelerate Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s departure amid a fractured political landscape, with Labour facing headwinds as Greens and Reform UK gain ground, signaling a shift toward a multiparty era.
As UK local elections approach, Reform UK leads national polls and is forecast to win thousands of council seats, potentially redefining the opposition balance. The Greens and Lib Dems push for momentum in London and other councils, while the Conservatives brace for losses. Labour faces leadership pressure centered on Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner, with talk of possible moves by Burnham; a reshuffle or relaunch is on the table but a coup in seven days remains uncertain. SNP and Plaid Cymru eye holds or gains in Scotland and Wales, respectively. The results could shape Labour’s future and the Tory response heading into 2026.
In a Gorton and Denton by-election, the Green Party won a seat Labour had long held, delivering a symbolic setback to Keir Starmer and highlighting a broader realignment as Greens and Reform UK gain ground amid Labour's centrist stance ahead of upcoming local elections.
Former plumber Hannah Spencer won Manchester's Gorton and Denton for the Green Party in a three-way race against Reform UK and Labour, making her the Greens' fifth MP and signaling rising eco-populist momentum as Labour faces scrutiny and Reform UK remains a national force ahead of the 2029 general election.
Labour, Reform UK and the Green Party are contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election in a tight three-way race that could boost Keir Starmer or signal momentum for Reform and the Greens, while by-elections of this kind do not change Parliament's arithmetic.