Preliminary results from the United Kingdom’s local elections indicate severe setbacks for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. Early counts show that many Labour candidates have been rejected by voters across England, with the party reportedly losing around 250 council seats. In contrast, Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist Reform UK Party has gained more than 300 seats out of roughly 5,000 contested positions nationwide.

Opinion polls in recent months had predicted a difficult outcome for Labour, reflecting declining public support for Starmer, described as one of the least popular British leaders in modern history. If the polling trends hold, Labour could lose up to 2,000 local council seats in England and risk its long-held dominance in Wales, where it has won every general election since 1922.

The preliminary results also show gains for the left-leaning Green Party and centrist Liberal Democrats, which have secured 26 and 35 council seats respectively. These developments have increased pressure on Starmer and further weakened the political influence of the Conservatives.