Labour Suffers Heavy Losses as Starmer Stays

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has insisted he will not resign despite early local election results showing significant setbacks for the Labour Party across parts of England and Wales.

Speaking in west London, Starmer acknowledged the results had been “really tough” and admitted voters were frustrated with the pace of change under his government. However, he rejected suggestions that he should step aside, saying he remained committed to serving a full five-year term and intended to contest the next general election as Labour leader.

“Tough days like this don’t weaken my resolve,” Starmer told reporters. “They strengthen it.”

The prime minister warned that resigning now or triggering a leadership contest would create instability and “plunge the country into chaos.” He said Labour had been elected to tackle major challenges facing the country and that he would continue focusing on delivering improvements for voters.

The election results so far have dealt a serious blow to Labour in several traditional strongholds. In Hartlepool, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK secured every council seat being contested, prompting local Labour MP Jonathan Brash to renew calls for Starmer to outline a timetable for stepping down.

Labour also suffered major losses in Wigan, where Reform UK won 24 of the 25 available council seats. The area includes the parliamentary constituency represented by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.

Additional losses were reported in northern English areas including Tameside, while Labour is also expected to lose power in Wales for the first time.

Earlier in the day, Defence Secretary John Healey defended the prime minister’s leadership, saying Starmer would “stay the course” despite the disappointing results.

Healey acknowledged the government needed to “go further” and “deliver more” to restore public confidence, but stressed that Labour was still early in its term and remained focused on improving people’s lives.