UK PM Starmer refuses to quit after Labour local election losses

Sir Keir Starmer has said he will not resign after Labour suffered heavy losses in local government elections across England and admitted defeat in Wales.

Labour lost hundreds of seats, while Reform UK gained more than 600 and took control of three councils: Suffolk, Essex and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Starmer said he was "not going to walk away and plunge the country into chaos".

The results have intensified pressure on the prime minister, with a Labour MP calling for a planned transition to a new leader.

Starmer said the results were "tough" but added that they would not weaken his resolve to deliver the change he promised.

The vote was the biggest electoral test for Starmer since Labour won the 2024 general election.

It also saw the Conservatives lose hundreds of councillors, including in some traditional strongholds.

Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, described the outcome as a "truly historic shift in British politics".

The party's gains were concentrated in local contests in England, while Labour's losses were especially significant in Wales, where it had previously been dominant.

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