UK’s Labour set for heavy losses in elections as Reform makes early gains
Key takeaways
- Nigel Farage’s populist party Reform UK has made early gains in local elections with wins in Labour heartlands.
- The election is seen as a key test of Starmer’s leadership, with Labour trailing behind Reform UK in opinion polls in recent months.
- “Days like this don’t weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised,” Starmer was quoted by GB News as saying.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Nigel Farage’s populist party Reform UK has made early gains in local elections with wins in Labour heartlands.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives with his wife Victoria Starmer to cast their votes at a polling station in Westminster Chapel [AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 8 May 20268 May 2026United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is bracing for heavy defeats in local elections, with Reform UK poised to make gains across the country, according to early results.
Labour’s woes were already evident as the country woke up on Friday morning, with the governing party losing more than 258 seats and Nigel Farage’s populist party Reform UK gaining 382 seats by 9am local time (08:00 GMT).