The elections across England, Scotland and Wales marked Labour’s most serious political setback since the party returned to power in the 2024 general election, ending more than a decade of Conservative-led government.Writing in Britain’s Guardian newspaper, Starmer acknowledged public dissatisfaction following Thursday’s vote but rejected calls for Labour to shift ideologically in response to the results.“

The right lesson is to listen to voters,” Starmer wrote, adding that doing so “doesn’t mean tacking right or left.”The strongest advances came from Reform UK, the anti-immigration party that expanded its footprint across England, Scotland and Wales as disillusioned voters increasingly turned toward nationalist and insurgent political movements.With nearly all ballots counted, Labour lost almost 1,400 council seats in England and relinquished control of several local authorities.

Reform UK secured nearly 1,500 of the roughly 5,000 council seats contested, while the Green Party also posted strong gains with more than 500 seats won.The outcome was particularly severe in Wales, where Labour lost control of the devolved government for the first time since the Welsh parliament was established in 1999.

Nationalist party Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest political force, followed by Reform UK, with Labour falling to third place.In Scotland, the Scottish National Party retained its position as the largest party but failed to secure an outright majority, winning six fewer seats than in the previous regional elections in 2021.

Although Labour’s performance in London was less damaging than some party officials had feared, the broader results underscored mounting public unease over the government’s economic record and a series of policy reversals and political controversies since taking office.

The election setback comes as British households continue to face persistent cost-of-living pressures, sluggish economic growth and strained public services, conditions that have increasingly benefited smaller opposition parties and anti-establishment movements.