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Far-right-populist MP Nigel Farage-led Reform UK registered major gains in England's local elections, significantly denting support for both the ruling Labour Party and the opposition Conservatives, CNN reported.
According to CNN, results declared on Friday (local time) showed Reform UK gaining more than 600 council seats, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party lost over 450 seats. The Conservative Party also suffered major setbacks, losing nearly 300 seats. "Labour are being wiped out by Reform in many of their most traditional areas, and what you're going to see later on today is the Conservative Party being wiped out in their heartlands," Farage told reporters on Friday, as quoted by CNN. Farage asserted that Reform UK was no longer merely a protest movement but had become a "truly national party" that was "here to stay". The results are being seen as a significant development in British politics, reflecting growing fragmentation of the traditional Labour-Conservative two-party system. CNN reported that Starmer acknowledged voter dissatisfaction over the government's performance and pace of reforms following Labour's landslide victory in the 2024 general election. Speaking after the results, Starmer said it was important not to "sugarcoat" the outcome, adding that voters were dissatisfied with the "pace of change" under his government. However, he rejected suggestions of stepping down, saying that "I'm not going to walk away and plunge the country into chaos. We were elected to deal with these challenges, and that's what we will do," as reported by CNN. Farage, meanwhile, described the election results as a "truly historic shift in British politics" and said Reform UK's gains across England showed that the party could seriously challenge both Labour and the Conservatives. "It's a big, big day - not just for our party, but for a complete reshaping of British politics in every way," he said, as per CNN. According to CNN, Reform UK also made breakthroughs in traditional Conservative strongholds, including taking control of Essex County Council, which had been under Conservative control for 25 years. Farage said the election outcome reflected a broader political realignment in Britain. "Politics is no longer about the old arguments of right and left," he said. "It's about people who value patriotic ideas, believe in this country, and want to see things turned around." CNN noted that Labour's losses in some areas were compounded by gains made by the Green Party, which attracted sections of Labour's progressive support base. In London's Hackney borough, Green Party candidate Zoe Garbett won the mayoral election, defeating the Labour incumbent. In her victory speech, Garbett said the results showed that voters were "desperate for an alternative to this failing Labour government". The local election setbacks have also intensified scrutiny over Starmer's leadership within Labour, although senior party figures have publicly backed him. According to CNN, the UK's Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy defended Starmer's leadership, saying, "You don't change the pilot during the flight." Speaking to reporters later, Starmer reiterated his commitment to continue leading the government. "Tough days like this - they don't weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised at the general election. They strengthen my resolve to do so," he said as reported by CNN. (ANI)
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