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The United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken responsibility for Labour’s defeat in the UK council polls held on Thursday and admitted to having let Britons down.
The leading party suffered major setbacks in early local election results, as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK recorded significant gains across parts of England.
Early counts released on Friday showed Reform UK gaining more than 350 council seats, while Labour had lost over 240 seats across 40 English councils that had declared results by mid-morning. Thousands more seats across England, Scotland, and Wales were still being counted.
Speaking after the election, the UK Prime Minister reacted with dismay, describing the results as “tough”.
These are tough results for Labour. There’s no sugarcoating it. We’ve lost brilliant Labour representatives who’ve stood up for their communities.
People are still frustrated. Their lives aren’t changing fast enough. We haven’t offered enough hope or optimism for the future.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 8, 2026
“The results are tough. They’re very tough, and there is no sugarcoating this. We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country. These people put so much into their communities, so much into our party. And that hurts. It should hurt. I take responsibility. When voters send a message like this, we must reflect, and we must respond,” said Starmer.
“They know the status quo is letting them down, and they’re frustrated. They don’t feel the change. I understand that. I get that.”
Starmer, who faced calls to resign following political controversies involving Peter Mandelson, a senior Labour figure and former European Commissioner, said the party had made “unnecessary mistakes” and failed to convince Britons that the cost of living and public services would improve.
He added that the results have strengthened his determination to perform better and deliver the change Britons deserve.
“In the coming days, I’m going to set out the steps we’ll take to deliver the change that they want and deserve. So every child can go as far as their talent and ability will take them, not held back by poverty. So that every community can have what it needs — a secure, safe place for everybody to live. Households and families not feeling constantly held back by a cost of living crisis.
“And a Britain where everybody can feel proud of the place where they live, and they work. These are tough results. But tough days like this don’t weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised at the general election. They strengthen my resolve to do so.”
Thursday’s elections were widely seen as the first major electoral test for Starmer’s government since taking office. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, however, described the results as a “historic change in British politics”.
