Defiant Starmer digs in after UK Labour’s local election drubbing

Defiant Starmer digs in after UK Labour’s local election drubbingNigel Farage, whose Reform UK gained more seats, said the results so ‌far ‌represented a ‘truly historic shift in British politics’3-MIN READ3-MIN0ListenPublished: 5:55pm, 8 May 2026Prime Minister ⁠Keir Starmer vowed on Friday to fight on to deliver on his promise to bring “change” to Britain after his Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local election that deepened doubts over his ability to govern.Just under two years after winning a landslide national election, Starmer saw voters punish his Labour government, dealing it a blow in some of its traditional strongholds in former industrial regions in central and northern England.The main beneficiary was the populist Reform UK party of Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, which gained more than 350 council seats in England, and could ‌form the main opposition in Scotland and Wales to the pro-independence Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru in results later on Friday.Select VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x