Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party has suffered significant losses in the U.K. local elections, with partial results showing gains for the hard-right Reform U.K. party led by Nigel Farage. The elections, held on May 8, 2026, are being seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer's leadership, who has been in office for less than two years.

The Reform U.K. party has won hundreds of local council seats in working-class areas in England's north, including Hartlepool. The Labour Party is expected to face further challenges as results come in from the majority of local councils, including strongholds like London.

The full picture of the election results will emerge throughout the day, with votes also being counted in contests for semiautonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales.

A Labour rout could trigger moves by party lawmakers to oust Starmer, with many analysts doubting he will lead the party into the next national election, which must be held by 2029. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has cautioned against removing Starmer, saying 'you don’t change the pilot during the flight.'

The Labour Party will closely watch the remaining results, with the full outcome expected to have significant implications for the party's leadership and future direction. The party's response to the election results will be closely monitored, with potential challenges to Starmer's leadership emerging in the coming days.