Starmer refuses to quit as Labour suffers devastating losses across English councils, the Welsh Senedd, and the Scottish Parliament. Reform UK gained more than 1,400 council seats in England and topped the BBC’s projected national share at 26%. Twenty-two Labour MPs have publicly called for the prime minister to stand down. Starmer refuses to quit as Labour suffers its worst local election performance in a generation, insisting he will not “plunge the country into chaos.”

The Results as Starmer Refuses to Quit as Labour Suffers

Labour lost more than 1,100 English council seats as Starmer refuses to quit, with defeats concentrated in the party’s historic heartlands across northern England and the Midlands. The BBC’s projected national share, calculated from results in more than 1,000 wards, put Reform UK at 26%, the Greens at 18%, and Labour and the Conservatives tied at 17%.

In Wales, Plaid Cymru became the largest party in the Senedd, ending Labour’s 27-year rule. First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat and announced her resignation as Welsh Labour leader. In Scotland, the SNP remained the largest party but fell short of an overall majority. Labour finished tied with Reform on 17 seats as Starmer refuses to quit, as Labour suffers across all three nations.

The Cabinet Response as Starmer Refuses to Quit as Labour Suffers

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the prime minister would “have my support” as Starmer refuses to quit as Labour suffers. He said the government must “take responsibility” and show it can “still deliver the change that people are crying out for.” Chancellor Rachel Reeves posted that Starmer “won a mandate to change our country.” Defence Secretary John Healey said the prime minister could “still turn this around.” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned against a “knee-jerk reaction” to the results.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, a leading figure on the soft left, posted that “these are devastating results for Labour” but echoed Starmer’s call to go further in delivering the mandate. The cabinet rallied as Starmer refused to quit as Labour suffered. The rally was conditional. The condition was delivery.

The Union and MP Pressure as Starmer Refuses to Quit as Labour Suffers

The unions that financially back Labour called for an “urgent meeting” with the prime minister. Their joint statement described a “stark disconnect between the Labour government and working people.” Unite leader Sharon Graham said the “writing is on the wall” for the government.

Twenty-two Labour MPs have publicly called for Starmer to stand down or set a timetable for his exit, as Starmer refuses to quit as Labour suffers. Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary, told the BBC that if the prime minister did not change his approach, he “cannot lead us into another election.” Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, is seen as a potential challenger. Starmer blocked him from standing to become an MP earlier this year.

What Comes Next

Starmer wrote a piece in Saturday’s Guardian and plans a speech on Monday responding to the results. A significant number of MPs are waiting to see whether he can demonstrate the change Haigh described as the condition of continued support.