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The Guardian World1 min read
Starmer under pressure as Labour suffers heavy election losses including historic Wales defeat
TL;DR
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer faces pressure after significant election losses, including losing power in Wales after 27 years. Reform UK emerged as the biggest winner, gaining over 1,400 seats and becoming the largest party with a 26% vote share.
Key points
- Labour lost power in Wales after 27 years
- Reform UK gained over 1,400 seats
- Sir Keir Starmer faces pressure to resign
- SNP likely to remain largest party in Scotland
- Reform UK has a 26% national vote share
Mentioned in this story
Sir Keir StarmerLabourReform UKSNPWalesScotland
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he will not quit as prime minister and "plunge the country into chaos", as Labour reels from significant election losses.
The results in England, Scotland and Wales have piled pressure on Sir Keir, with some Labour MPs calling for him to set a timetable for his departure, although his cabinet allies have backed him for now.
Labour has lost power in Wales, ending its 27 year-long rule, while the SNP appears likely to remain the largest party in Scotland.
Reform UK has been the big winner in England, picking up more than 1,400 seats and taking control of councils in areas where Labour and the Conservatives have been historically dominant.
The BBC's projected national share (PNS), which is calculated from results in more than 1,000 wards and estimates a general election where people voted along similar lines, makes Reform the largest party, on 26% of the vote share.
The PNS puts the Greens in second on 18%, followed by Labour and the Conservatives neck-and-neck in third place on 17% - appearing to confirm the end of the traditional dominance of the big two parties in the UK.
Labour has lost more than 1,100 English council seats, including in its heartlands across northern England and the Midlands, and faces further difficult results as counting continues throughout Friday.
The results are bleak for Labour in Wales, where Plaid Cymru is now the biggest party in the devolved parliament, with Reform as the main opposition.
Meanwhile in Scotland, the SNP is expected be the largest party in Scotland but fall short of an overall majority.
Labour's poor showing has fuelled further questions about Sir Keir's leadership, which have been growing for months.
As of late Friday evening, 21 Labour MPs had publicly called for the prime minister to stand down or set a timetable for his exit and, privately, criticism of the prime minister goes far beyond the party's left wing.
Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary, said although the unpopularity of Sir Keir had come up on the doorstep, she felt now was not the time to move against him.
"We cannot descend into an irresponsible, messy, internal contest," Haigh told the BBC, although she added that, if the prime minister did not change his ways, he "cannot lead us into another election".
Haigh is an influential voice on Labour's so-called soft left, which includes supporters of Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.
Burnham is seen as a potential challenger to Sir Keir, who blocked him from standing to become an MP earlier this year, so some MPs are thought to be biding their time until he can return to Westminster and launch a leadership contest.
In a speech on Friday morning, as initial results in England came in, Sir Keir acknowledged it had been a "tough" set of elections but said: "I'm not going to walk away and plunge the country into chaos."
Q&A
What were the election results for Labour in Wales?
Labour lost power in Wales, ending a 27-year-long rule.
How did Reform UK perform in the recent elections?
Reform UK gained over 1,400 seats and became the largest party with a 26% vote share.
What is the current situation for Sir Keir Starmer after the election losses?
Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure, with some MPs calling for him to set a departure timetable, though he insists he will not quit.
Which party is likely to remain the largest in Scotland?
The SNP is expected to remain the largest party in Scotland following the election results.
