UK PM Starmer Appoints Brown and Harman After Labour's Local Election Losses

Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and ex-Labour leader Harriet Harman to senior advisory roles at Downing Street on May 9, 2026, following Labour's significant losses in local elections across England and Wales. The appointments come one day after Labour lost hundreds of council seats and control of the Welsh Parliament, marking its worst local election result in decades.

Brown will serve as Special Envoy on Global Finance and Cooperation, leveraging his experience as the UK's longest-serving Chancellor to strengthen international economic coordination. Harman will act as Adviser on Women and Girls in an unpaid, part-time capacity, focusing on combating violence against women, improving gender representation, and advancing economic opportunities, according to Downing Street.

The electoral setbacks saw Reform UK gain hundreds of council seats on an anti-immigration platform, while the Greens, Liberal Democrats, and Plaid Cymru also made gains. In Wales, Plaid Cymru secured a narrow majority for the first time since devolution, and in Scotland, the SNP is set to form the government as Labour tied with Reform UK for second place.

Starmer admitted the government failed to communicate how its policies would improve daily life, saying, "The hope wasn’t there enough in the first two years." He rejected calls to resign, stating he would not "plunge the country into chaos," and committed to outlining a rebuilding strategy in the coming days.

Several Labour MPs have publicly called for Starmer to set a timeline for his departure. The party will assess its electoral strategy internally as Starmer prepares to deliver a public statement on the government’s future direction.