Labour Loses Control Of Five Local Councils As Reform UK Gains Nearly 200 Seats

Britain’s Labour Party faced heavy early losses in local elections as results began to come in across the country on Thursday and Friday morning, with Labour having lost control of five local councils out of 25 that had declared results and losing more than 100 seats in total.

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The BBC said counting was under way in parts of England in 46 of 136 local authority areas, while Scotland and Wales were set to begin counting after 09:00 BST.

BBC

In England, the BBC reported that in Tameside Labour was defending 17 seats and lost 16 of them, all to Reform, and in Wigan Labour lost all 22 of the seats it was defending to Reform.

The Times of Israel reported that Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, had gained nearly 200 seats across local councils as of early Friday morning, while the Greens had picked up 12 seats by 5 a.m. local time (7 a.m. Israel time).

Nigel Farage hailed the preliminary results, telling reporters, "exceeding anything that I thought," and saying, "I think what you’re witnessing is an historic change in British politics."

The BBC’s Henry Zeffman said one dynamic to watch as Labour MPs digest the results is which MPs’ seats correspond to different council areas, adding that some of the areas Labour did worst are represented in Westminster by prominent figures.

The Guardian

In Tameside, the BBC said Labour lost 16 of 17 seats it was defending, and in Wigan, where the MP is Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, Labour lost all 22 seats it was defending to Reform.

The Independent reported that as dawn broke it was confirmed Labour had lost control of its eighth local authority, Westminster City Council, and said pollsters expected Labour to lose more than 1,500 councillors.

The Times of Israel said the elections for 136 local councils in England, alongside the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, represent the most significant test of public opinion before the next general election due in 2029, and it described the result as set to heap more pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

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Financial Times

The Independent said the prime minister would be counting the cost of major losses in traditional Labour-supporting areas including Tameside, Hartlepool and Wigan, and it reported that before polls closed, Mr Miliband had privately urged Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure after the elections.

The BBC said counting for the national elections in Scotland and Wales begins after 09:00 BST, with the first results in Scotland expected around 13:00 BST and a bit later in the afternoon in Wales, and the full set expected by the end of the evening.

The Guardian said its tracker numbers are provided by the Press Association (PA) and that "Numbers for change in seats are calculated against the state of the council or parliament just before this election," a method it said can lead to discrepancies with other outlets.