Glasgow, United Kingdom – British voters delivered a stinging verdict on the Labour Party in local council elections, as the opposition Reform UK swept hundreds of seats from the ruling party, dealing a heavy blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Although many results from the 7 May ballot are still being counted, the right-wing populist Reform UK has gained more than 500 seats and four councils, while Labour lost about 300 councillors out of the 136 councils contested. More than 5,000 council seats were up for election.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declared: “Labour is being wiped out by Reform in its most traditional areas.” The result is seen as a springboard for the party to seriously challenge Labour at the next general election, due before 2029.
“Reform UK will certainly celebrate, but they will face a tougher challenge in governing,” said James Mitchell, a professor at the University of Edinburgh. “Having a foothold in local government is an important base, but it also comes with the responsibility of solving real-world problems. Their success depends heavily on how they carry out their duties.”
Labour, under Starmer’s leadership, has faced a series of difficulties since defeating the Conservatives in the 2024 general election. From internal parliamentary rebellions to the political fallout from appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, Starmer’s reputation has been severely damaged.
“This defeat will embolden those within Labour who want to remove Starmer,” Mitchell added. “The self-interest of Labour MPs who risk losing their seats in the next election could trigger a leadership challenge. The prime minister’s recovery becomes harder with every setback.”
While Reform UK emerged as the clear winner, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party also made gains. The Greens, under Zack Polanski’s leadership since 2025, achieved more modest results than expected but still see them as a stepping stone to national success.
“Green politics is grassroots, community politics,” said Nick Hartley, a Green councillor in Newcastle. “Reform UK, backed by billionaires, just wants to take power from the top down. They don’t put communities at heart.”
Many Green voters are concerned about the rise of Reform UK, which runs on an anti-immigration platform. Just days before the election, the party sparked controversy by promising to set up immigration detention centres in areas run by the Greens if it won.
“Their tactics are just about dividing people,” said Laura Hind, a Green supporter in Yorkshire. “What they stand for doesn’t align with my beliefs. For all their talk, they lack real policies.”
The election results have thrust Reform UK into the spotlight of the UK’s turbulent political landscape. “The results confirm what opinion polls have been showing for months,” said Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London. “Reform is now the front-runner in an increasingly multi-party system, and the strongest on the right, taking seats from both the Conservatives and Labour.”
