Overview
- Labour, which launched its local-election campaign Monday in Wolverhampton, set out a unity pitch and vowed to keep Britain out of the US–Iran war.
- Keir Starmer said the Iran conflict is "not our war" and accused Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch of urging reckless escalation.
- The campaign spotlighted help with household costs, citing a lower energy price cap, a higher minimum wage, ending the two-child benefit cap, and efforts to cut NHS waiting lists.
- Polling and expert analysis warn Labour could lose well over 1,000 council seats as Reform UK and the Greens gain ground, with YouGov modelling suggesting Plaid Cymru could become the largest party in the Welsh parliament.
- Senior cabinet ministers packed the launch to project unity as rising fuel costs tied to Gulf tensions and local strains such as Birmingham’s council turmoil sharpen voter concerns.