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Reform UK Surges as Labour Suffers Heavy Losses in Early Local Election Results

Early results leave Starmer facing fresh questions over his leadership.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer after casting their votes in the local elections at Westminster Chapel in central London. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and wife Victoria arrive at a polling station in central London, Thursday, May 7, 2026 to cast their votes in the local elections.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer arrive at a polling station to vote during local elections in London, Britain, May 7, 2026. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
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Overview

  • Results from overnight counts Friday show Reform UK chalking up early wins and Labour losing heavily in northern councils, with Reform sweeping all 12 seats in Hartlepool and taking large gains in Wigan and Halton.
  • The national picture is still forming as many English councils and all devolved races in Wales and Scotland continue to declare, with analysts projecting Labour could shed around 1,850 councillors in England.
  • Speculation over Keir Starmer’s future grew after reports that Ed Miliband urged him to set a departure timetable, even as Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy argued there is no case for another leadership change.
  • Reform UK claimed new ground including control in Newcastle-under-Lyme, the Greens reported targeted advances in urban areas, and the Liberal Democrats took Stockport and Portsmouth while strengthening their position in Richmond upon Thames.
  • Election experts, including John Curtice, said the results signal a fracturing of the two-party system as Reform and the Greens pull votes from both Labour and the Conservatives, a shift that could reshape control of local services as more counts land through Friday.