UK’s Keir Starmer faces crisis after Labor election defeat | Election News

The Prime Minister of the UK is expected to give a speech to reassure the people of his leadership.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a leadership crisis as MPs call for his resignation following the Labor Party’s shock defeat in local elections.

Backbencher Labor MP Catherine West urged cabinet ministers to “move quickly” to replace him, saying she intended to email colleagues for support on Monday morning if no one volunteered.

More than 30 Labor MPs have said Starmer should resign or set a deadline to leave, including his former colleague Josh Simons, who wrote in The Times that Starmer had “lost the country”.

Last week’s election saw Labor lose around 1,500 councilors in England, mainly to Reform UK and the Greens. In Wales, First Minister Eluned Morgan lost the seat, ending the party’s 27-year tenure. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party retained its position, with Labor coming in second.

Some still support the Prime Minister, including Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who told Sky News she does not believe “the leadership race and all the problems it will cause is a solution”.

Starmer is due to give a speech on Monday, along with the king’s speech on Wednesday, which will try to convince the public and his party of his leadership. In it, he is expected to say that his government “will be defined by renewing our relationship and putting Britain at the heart of Europe”, according to Reuters.

Labor failed to inspire ‘public trust’

In an op-ed in The Guardian on Friday, Starmer took responsibility for the results, noting that the Labor Party “hasn’t built public confidence that we are doing enough” to make a difference. He said that although it was important to respond to the message sent by the voters, “this does not mean moving to the right or to the left”.

Starmer nominated former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former Labor deputy leader Baroness Harman for senior government posts on Saturday in what appeared to be a bid to boost support.

A leadership contest requires the approval of 81 Labor MPs. Those challenging the leadership include Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Deputy First Minister Angela Rayner and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.

Starmer’s government has been in power since 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative rule with a landslide victory. His popularity has plummeted since he decided to cut fuel spending in the winter amid the financial crisis and the scandal surrounding US ambassador Peter Mendelson’s connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Meanwhile, support has grown for the right-wing Reform UK, and the Green Party under Zack Polanski, who has been opposing Israel’s war on Gaza.