Overview
- Labour lost control of the Welsh parliament for the first time, with Plaid Cymru on 43 seats and Reform UK on 34 after Friday’s final count reported by the BBC.
- In England, partial tallies covering about three quarters of councils put Reform UK on 1,079 seats and Labour on 688, with Labour down 911 overall and long-held strongholds such as Sunderland flipping.
- Keir Starmer said he takes responsibility for the “very difficult” results and ruled out resigning on Friday, as senior ministers closed ranks and critics pressed for a change of course.
- Voters also shifted to smaller parties, with the Greens securing 343 seats and winning London mayoralties in Hackney and Lewisham, while Reform took control in Havering, reshaping who runs local services such as social care and waste collection.
- Returns point to a wider break from two-party dominance, with the SNP still leading in Scotland, the Liberal Democrats on 681 seats ahead of the Conservatives on 612 in England, and many councils left without clear majorities.