Keir Starmer left in limbo after bad election results that could have been worse

After Labour’s demise was overestimated, the prime minister’s potential challengers are staying quiet – for nowElections 2026 – live updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesAs the results rolled in, a trickle of voices were calling for Keir Starmer to quit – MPs from the governing Labour party, some trade union leaders, and a Labour peer.The numbers in England’s crucial local election results on Friday were undoubtedly bad for Labour, as Reform UK made sweeping gains across pro-Brexit heartlands in the Midlands and north, including the historically deep red Sunderland and Hartlepool. These could even be the party’s worst losses for 50 years, with more than 1,000 councillors gone alongside the potential loss of control of the Welsh parliament – and similar disappointment expected in Scotland. Continue reading...