UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, facing a new challenge to his leadership after election losses, pledged Saturday to stay in office and correct his Labour Party's course. "I'm not going to walk away from this, that would plunge the country into chaos," Starmer told the BBC. "But that doesn't mean we don't need to respond. It doesn't mean we don't need to rebuild. It doesn't mean that we don't need to set out the path ahead." A poll conducted just before the vote Thursday found most Labour members already didn't think the prime minister can turn the party around and said he should resign, the Guardian reports.
Final results Saturday showed Labour suffered a net loss of more than 1,100 local council seats across England, lost control of several local authorities it had held for decades, and was booted from power in Wales after 27 years, per the AP. Anti-immigration party Reform UK gained over 1,300 seats across England and made significant gains in legislative elections in Wales and Scotland. Cabinet colleagues have expressed support for Starmer. High-profile Labour politicians such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham have kept quiet so far.
But Labour MP Catherine West said Saturday that unless a Cabinet minister challenges Starmer by Monday, she'll force a leadership contest, saying, "We need to get this ball rolling." Acknowledging the necessary 81 votes aren't lined up, West said she'd prefer the Cabinet initiate a reshuffling that would move Starmer into a different position "he might enjoy ... perhaps an international role." That would make needed changes, she said, "with minimum fuss," per the Guardian.
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