Labour Party Falls Back in UK Local Elections, Reform Party Makes Big Gains
2026-05-08
Labour Party Falls Back in UK Local Elections, Reform Party Makes Big Gains
Calls for Labour leader to step down grow, while Starmer says he will stay on
As vote counting continued in the UK’s local elections held on the 7th, the ruling Labour Party lost a large number of seats. The emerging right-wing party Reform UK, which advocates anti-immigration policies, made gains, and voices within Labour are calling for Prime Minister Starmer to resign.
Seat distribution shifts significantly
In England, the ruling and opposition parties competed for about 5,000 seats across 136 local councils. According to the BBC, as of 8:00 a.m. on the 8th (4:00 p.m. Japan time), results had been confirmed in 40 councils, totaling about 1,100 seats. Labour held 245 seats, almost half the number from the previous election in 2022 and others.
The Conservative Party lost one-third of its seats and ended up with 226, while Reform Party, which had no seats in the previous election, won 352 seats to take the lead. The centrist Liberal Democrats won 241 seats, and the Green Party, a left-wing populist party, won 48 seats, each increasing their representation. Vote counting began on the 8th in Scotland and Wales.
Slumping approval ratings intensify calls for resignation
The Starmer administration’s approval ratings have been slumping amid tax increases and rising unemployment, as well as suspicion of leaking classified information involving Epstein, a wealthy American businessman and party heavyweight appointed as ambassador to the U.S. In the wake of the local election results, calls for him to step down are growing, but no strong successor candidate is in sight.
Hale, who leads the Labour caucus on Hull City Council in eastern England, told the BBC, “It’s time for a change at the top.” Riley, who voted for a Labour candidate in Clapham, southwest London, also said, “Starmer should resign, but it’s unclear who would replace him.”
Speaking to British media, Starmer acknowledged, “Our efforts were not enough to convince people that we can improve their lives.” He added, “Our determination to deliver the change we promised remains unwavering,” indicating his intention to stay on.
Tice, deputy leader of Reform Party, told the BBC, “The election results showed a complete rejection of the two major parties, Labour and Conservative.” He also said the party aims to compile many policies by the end of the year and build a system prepared for whenever a general election is held.
In the UK, because the country has long used a single-member district system that favors major parties in national politics, votes have traditionally swung between Labour and the Conservatives. This time, however, disappointment with both parties has spread, and support has fragmented among five parties. In a country with a two-party system, the result underscores the advance of multiparty politics.
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