The results of the local elections so far demonstrate "a very bad night" for the Labour Party, an expert on elections and political polling said on Friday (May 8).

"The main benefactors of that appear to be Reform UK, who are gaining hundreds of councillors and maybe in the four digits by the end of the end of the day," said Director of Politics at IPSOS, Keiran Pedley.

Pedley warned, however "politics is very volatile at the moment. It's a fractured party system," adding that Reform UK’s strong performance did not automatically translate into long-term power.

Pedley also highlighted gains by the Greens who he said "seem to be breaking records" in terms of their own vote share.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Friday to stay in office to "deliver change" after his Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections that deepened doubts over his ability to govern.

Just under two years after winning a landslide national election, Starmer saw voters punish his Labour government, dealing it a blow in some of its traditional strongholds in former industrial regions in central and northern England.

Early results underscored the fracturing of Britain's traditional two-party system, with the once-dominant Labour and Conservative parties losing votes not only to Reform, but to the left-wing Green Party at the other end of the political spectrum, and to nationalists in Scotland and Wales.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 7, 2026) (UK POOL - Broadcast: No use UK. Digital: No use UK, except UK newspapers)

1. BRITAIN’S PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER AND HIS WIFE VICTORIA WALKING INTO ELECTION POLLING STATION TO VOTE

HULL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (BBC NEWS - No use UK)

2. VOTES BEING COUNTED

LONDON, ENGLAND UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (BBC NEWS - No use UK)

3. VARIOUS OF VOTES BEING COUNTED

4. CANDIDATES STANDING

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (UK POOL - Broadcast: No use UK. Digital: No use UK, except UK newspapers.)

5. STARMER SPEAKING TO AND MEETING WITH ELECTION CAMPAIGNERS

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF POLITICS AT IPSOS, KEIRAN PEDLEY, SAYING:

“So I think looking at these local elections and it should be stressed, they are local elections, voters often behave differently to how they do at general elections. But what we can see is a very bad night for the Labour Party. They are losing support across England, vast swathes of northern England, but also in the south, too. And the main benefactors of that appear to be Reform UK, who are gaining hundreds of councillors and maybe in the four digits by the end of the end of the day. But the Greens are also taking votes from Labour to the losing votes left and right, and it's a very bad night for Keir Starmer and his party."

WALTON-ON-THE-NAZE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 7, 2026) (UK POOL – Broadcast: No use UK. Digital: No use UK, except UK newspapers)

7. VARIOUS OF REFORM UK PARTY LEADER, NIGEL FARAGE, VOTING AND HOLDING UP VOTING PAPER BEFORE PUTTING IT IN A BOX, WALKING OUTSIDE AND POSING FOR PHOTOS

HAVERING, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (BBC NEWS - No use UK)

8. PEOPLE CLAPPING TO ANNOUNCEMENT OF UK'S REFORM PARTY WINNING SEATS IN ST ALBANS WARD IN HAVERING

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF POLITICS AT IPSOS, KEIRAN PEDLEY, SAYING:

“Well, it appears that we're moving towards very much a multi-party system. You could say that the two party system that we were used to is very much dead and buried, at least for the time being. We're seeing Reform UK gain seats across vast swathes of the north of England, but also the south too. But regional battles are also important, such as in London, where the Greens are gaining territory from Labour. But also the Conservatives are gaining councils from Labour as well. So what we are seeing is sort of a regional mish-mash of politics at the moment and that's before we even talk about Scotland and Wales.”

PENARTH, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 7, 2026) (UK POOL - Broadcast: No use UK. Digital: No use UK, except UK newspapers)

10. GREEN PARTY LEADER, ZACK POLANSKI, POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH WALES' GREEN PARTY LEADER ANTHONY SLAUGHTER

11. POLANSKI WALKING AWAY

(SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF POLITICS AT IPSOS, KEIRAN PEDLEY, SAYING: (ON IF ANY RESULTS SURPRISING)

“Well, I think there are a couple of symbolic results that are very important. The first would be Essex County Council, which reform seemed to have taken control of from the Conservatives. This is traditional conservative heartland territory. Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, has her constituency in Essex, as do several members of the shadow cabinet. So the fact that Reform UK have taken control there does feel very symbolic of the shifting of the guard, if you like, on the centre right of British politics from the Conservatives to Reform. Also, if we look at London, the Greens have taken the mayoralty of Hackney, which is a sign, at least in urban areas, that the Greens might be taking votes from the left of Labour too."

EXETER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (BBC NEWS - No use UK)

12. VARIOUS OF GREEN PARTY CELEBRATING AS THEY WIN SEATS IN EXETER

ROMFORD, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (UK POOL - Broadcast: No use UK. Digital: No use UK, except UK newspapers)

13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) REFORM UK LEADER, NIGEL FARAGE, WALKING UP TO MICROPHONES AND SAYING:

"Good morning, everybody. I am delighted to be here in the sunshine outside Havering town hall, which I can now say is under new management."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF POLITICS AT IPSOS, KEIRAN PEDLEY, SAYING:

“Well I think Reform UK are the big winners of these elections. There are some signs they might not have done quite as well as a year ago, but we have to bear in mind that these elections were last up in the main four years ago in 2022. And so, you know, they are the big winners. They're going to win the most votes in the most seats. And they're building that activist base across England that sets them in good stead to form a government of some kind after the next general election. That being said, politics is very volatile at the moment. It's a fractured party system. So just because Reform UK are doing well today doesn't mean that they are nailed on for government and Nigel Farage nailed on for Downing Street. They're certainly in a good position right now. Meanwhile, the Greens do seem to be breaking records of their own in terms of their own vote share, maybe not on course for government, but certainly causing Labour cause for concern."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (UK POOL - Broadcast: No use UK. Digital: No use UK, except UK newspapers.)

15. VARIOUS OF STARMER SPEAKING TO AND MEETING WITH ELECTION CAMPAIGNERS FOR THE UK LABOUR PARTY

ROMFORD, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 8, 2026) (UK POOL - Broadcast: No use UK. Digital: No use UK, except UK newspapers)

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF POLITICS AT IPSOS, KEIRAN PEDLEY, SAYING:

“Well, these are very concerning results for the Labour Party. That's the reality. It's not uncommon for governing parties to lose local elections, mid parliament, and sometimes they come back and win elections. But I think what will concern Labour most of all is the nature of where they're losing support. Their traditional northern heartlands are going for Reform UK in a major way. But they're even being challenged in London by the Conservatives on one side and also the Greens in more progressive areas on the other. It terms of Keir Starmer's leadership that becomes less clear because that's really about what the Cabinet and Labour MPs do. It might be that they think it's time to replace him, but it's not clear who would replace him and that's really the challenge."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 7, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

17. PERSON WALKING INTO POLLING STATION

18. SIGN SHOWING DIRECTION OF POLLING STATION