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Reform wins across northern England overturn decades of Labour control

history.  Reform UK candidates and supporters celebrate outside the count centre in Sunderland where the party took overall control

Historic win for SNP but change and challenges ahead at Holyrood

counting, SNP leader John Swinney told me his party had won the election "hands down." Describing the margin of victory as "significant and emphatic," Swinney insisted "the public expectation

Polls open in historic byelection in Makerfield that could determine Keir Starmer’s future – UK politics live

seat being considered one of Labour’s safest (it has been red since its creation in 1983), the governing party face a stiff challenge in the shape of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. ![A Reform

How Labour’s ‘terrible’ night unfolded as Reform surges and Greens and Lib Dems hail wins

counting progressed in the two nations on Friday, early results indicated that while the Scottish National party was set to comfortably win an unprecedented fifth successive parliamentary term, Farage’s party had made significant inroads

Why Welsh voters turned their backs on the Labour party

history has opened: pro-independence [Plaid Cymru](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/plaid-cymru) is set to form a minority government. “For those of us who’ve only known [Labour](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/labour) domination … the fact that it could

Labour’s disastrous night puts focus on Keir Starmer’s future as leader

counting. One bright spot for Labour came from London, where the party proved more resilient than some were expecting, holding on to Hammersmith and Fulham council and defeating a strong Liberal Democrat challenge in Merton

Starmer vows to fight on as PM despite heavy local election losses for Labour

history. Brash [told the Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/08/labour-reform-uk-england-local-elections-2026-scotland-wales) on Thursday night: “I think the very best thing the prime minister could do now is address the nation tomorrow and set out a timetable

May elections live: millions cast their votes across England, Scotland and Wales

seats, the Tories 24 and Reform two. Several Westminster wards turn on tight margins and with Reform and the Greens trying to get in on the two-party act, every vote is going to count

UK elections – early results and takeaways; will Starmer have to resign?

counting continues, the populist, anti-immigration Reform UK Party led by Nigel Farage has been sweeping up council seats across the country. It has gained 382 council seats in England, and could form the main

Labour MPs have put Starmer on notice after election battering. Can he turn it around?

count, seat after seat, the party lost to Nigel Farage, a man many in Labour deride as a vaudeville performer who harbours offensive views. In other parts of the country, Labour gave ground to another

Why Labour's London squeeze exposes a fragmented modern British politics

counted, it was clear that Labour had fared much better across the capital city compared to the rest of the country. It signalled just how dominant Labour was becoming in London. Over the next

Welsh Labour faces ‘existential’ change as party braces for May election defeat

history-making run is expected to end. Labour’s collapse has left a vacuum, and former Labour voters are going to opposite ends of the political spectrum. [Plaid Cymru](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/plaid-cymru) and Nigel Farage

Friday briefing: ​As Israel’s coalition collapses, can its prime minister hang on to power?

counts of corruption. Much has changed since Israeli voters last went to the polls. Public support for Israel in both western Europe and the US is [at its lowest ever level](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/03/public-support-for-israel-in-western-europe-lowest-ever-recorded-yougov). Israeli