These are definitely not good times for Labour Party in the United Kingdom after it suffered heavy election losses but its leader Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he will not quit as prime minister and “plunge the country into chaos”, as Labour groves from significant election losses.
The results in England, Scotland and Wales have increased pressure on Sir Keir, with some Labour MPs calling for him to set a timetable for his departure, although his cabinet allies have backed him for now.
Labour has lost power in Wales, ending its 27-year rule, while the SNP remains the largest party in Scotland.
Reform UK has been the big winner in England, picking up more than 1,400 seats and taking control of councils in areas where Labour and the Conservatives have been historically dominant.
The BBC’s projected national share (PNS), which is calculated from results in more than 1,000 wards and estimates a general election where people voted along similar lines, makes Reform the largest party, on 26% of the vote share.
The PNS puts the Greens in second on 18%, followed by Labour and the Conservatives neck-and-neck in third place on 17% – appearing to confirm the end of the traditional dominance of the big two parties in the UK.
Labour has lost more than 1,100 English council seats, including in its heartlands across northern England and the Midlands, and faces further difficult results as counting continues throughout Friday.
The results are bleak for Labour in Wales, where Plaid Cymru is now the biggest party in the devolved parliament, with Reform as the main opposition.
Meanwhile in Scotland, the SNP is the largest party in Scotland but fell short of an overall majority.
Labour, who not so long ago harboured ambitions of toppling the SNP, finished a distant second on 17 seats – tied with Reform, who made their electoral breakthrough in Scotland.
Labour’s poor showing in the elections has fuelled further questions about Sir Keir’s leadership which have been growing for months.
In a bid to head off pressure, Sir Keir has written a piece in Saturday’s Guardian, vowing to stay on course and build unity.
“While we must respond to the message that voters have sent us, that doesn’t mean tacking right or left,” he said.
“It means bringing together a broad political movement, being assertive about our values, bold in our vision and addressing people’s demands. Unifying rather than dividing.”
Late on Friday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the prime minister would “have my support” as he sets out the party’s response to the results in a speech expected on Monday.
