Labour is waking up to a disaster this morning as Nigel Farage's Reform UK has made major gains across the country in local elections. Sir Keir Starmer has issued a statement this morning (Friday) as hundreds of Labour councillors have lost their seats, in most parts to Reform candidates.
The Prime Minister confessed the results are "tough" and "hurts" but has vowed to carry on. He said that "days like this don't weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised."
Speaking at Kingsdown Methodist Church in Ealing, west London, this morning, he said: "The results are tough, they are very tough, and there's no sugarcoating it. We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country, these are people who put so much into their communities, so much into our party. And that hurts, and it should hurt, and I take responsibility."
Sir Keir faces further heavy losses as vote counting continues today (Friday) in both English local elections and contests for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd. In Wales, Labour is expected to lose the national vote for the first time in more than a century, while the SNP appears likely to remain the largest party in Scotland after 19 years in power.
The Prime Minister went on: "When voters send a message like this we must reflect and we must respond. I think the vast majority of people do understand that we face huge challenges as a country. We've had a series of economic shocks in recent years and there's a very difficult international situation at present, they know that. But they still want their lives to improve, they still want to see the change that we promised, they know the status quo is letting them down and they're frustrated, they don't feel the changes."
Speaking to local Labour members, he added: "We've made some big calls, to stabilise our public finances, to invest in our public services, not to get dragged into a war in Iran. But we've also made unnecessary mistakes, one of which was that although we were right to level with the public about the scale and depth of the challenges we face, we didn't do enough to convince them that things will get better, that things will improve, the hope. And that is why in the coming days I'm going to set out the steps that we will take to deliver the change that they want and that they deserve."
He added: "These are tough results but tough days like this, they don't weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised at the general election, they strengthen my resolve to do so."
Labour is now facing a period of reflection as the party grapples with significant losses. The results highlight a growing discontent among voters, particularly with the economy and public services. Reform UK's surge indicates a shift in the political landscape, with many former Labour supporters turning to the right-wing party. The coming days will be crucial for Starmer as he outlines steps to regain public trust and deliver on his promises.
