The PM said that tough election results hurt, but didn’t weaken his resolve.42 minutes agoKateWhannel,Political reporterandJoshuaNevett,Political reporterPA mediaPrime Minister Sir Keir starmer said that Labour’s “tough”, local election results in England, “hurt”, but insisted that days like this “don’t weaken [his] resolve to deliver the changes that I promised”.The Conservatives also lost ground, while Reform UK enjoyed The Liberal Democrats won Stockport, Portsmouth, but lost control of Hull to Reform. Follow live election results and reactions. Chris Mason: The emerging picture shows Reform gains while Labour counts losses in heartland constituencies. The poor performance of the party in the elections will fuel questions about Sir Keir’s leadership that have been growing since months. Sharon Hoffman, the only Labour councillor left in Hull following Reform’s 10 seat win on the council, said that the national Labour government “had done us a great deal of damage”. “People were saying to us on the door that we were knocking: ‘We really support you. But we cannot support Labour.’ People said they would not vote Keir or anyone who represented Keir. “Speaking to Ealing residents in west London, Sir Keir stated: “The results were tough, very tough and there was no sugar-coating.” “We have lost brilliant Labour members across the country. These are people who gave so much to their communities and our party. “And it hurts and should hurt. I accept responsibility. “Asked whether he would resign, he replied: “I won’t walk away and plunge this country into chaos.” John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said he thought the prime minister “could still turn this around”, while Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary warned against a knee-jerk reaction to the results. Communities Secretary Steve Reed warned against changing leaders as well. He told the BBC that “doomscrolling from prime minister to prime minister doesn’t solve the problem.” Some Labour MPs hope Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham will return to Westminster to challenge Sir Keir in the party leadership. The Reform leader told Havering residents that people are used to thinking of politics as left or right, but his party has been able win in both traditionally Conservative areas and Labour ones. He said that Reform’s success could no longer be seen as a “fluke or protest vote”. When asked how Reform would perform at the local level, he replied: “We know that local council finances are stretched. We are not promising miracles, but we are announcing value for money. “On Sir Keir’s future, he jokingly said: “Personally, I would be very sorry to see the prime Minister go – he’s the greatest asset we have. “Like Labour the Conservatives lost councillors over night, and Reform won former strongholds like Brentwood, Tamworth, and North East Lincolnshire. Reform has won control of Essex County Council, which was previously held by the Conservatives. This area includes the constituencies for several senior Tory politicians, including party leader Kemi Benedot. Badenoch told Westminster that her party was the “only serious alternative to Labour”. She said that “People voted to change and they got a change for the worst with Labour”. She argued that Reform is “talking a good game”, but “people who have experienced Reform don’t enjoy it”. “We are the only ones that do any work. The Liberal Democrats gained control of Stockport, Portsmouth and Hull, but lost the control of Hull Council. Speaking in Portsmouth, Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey said Labour, the Conservatives and other “extreme” parties like Reform and the Greens were luring voters. “Their message is destructive – ‘burn it down’ change,” he said. “The Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, offer a different change that is ‘build it up’ change. “Asked if the prime minister should resign, he replied: “I personally believe he hasn’t delivered the changes Labour promised and he shouldn’t be in the way. The Green Party of England and Wales increased their average vote percentage to 18% overnight, up seven points from their 2022 results. Green MP Sian Berry claimed that “disappointment”, was “driving away people from Labour” and her party is “picking up votes”. She said that people were suffering because of cuts to public services, and that the Greens offered “genuine” policies that Labour “simply hadn’t brought in”. What do the results look like in maps and charts? When will we get the full results of the UK election?
