UK: The end of the traditional two-party system? Starmer faces crushing defeat in local polls

Early results from the UK local elections point to a crushing defeat for Starmer’s Labour Party. The hard-right Reform UK looked set to pick up some 400 seats, stealing hundreds from both the Conservative Party and Labour. The Greens and the Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, recorded relatively modest but significant gains. According to analysts, this could mark the end of the traditional British two-party system, with voters shifting to the two extremes of the political spectrum. Story by Eliza Herbert.