Britain’s Labour government faced a sharp political setback on Friday as early local election results pointed to heavy losses across councils, while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surged, tightening pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer just months into his premiership.

Starmer moved quickly to accept personal responsibility after Labour councillors were unseated in significant numbers, but ruled out stepping aside, telling party members in west London the results were "very tough” and "hurt,” while insisting they would not derail his agenda.

"I take responsibility,” he said, adding, "I’m not going to walk away,” and reaffirming his belief that he would still lead Labour into the next general election.

The scale of the setback became clearer as results from 40 of 136 English councils showed Reform UK gaining more than 350 seats, while Labour lost over 240, with the vast majority of results still to come across England, Scotland and Wales.

The vote, covering roughly 5,000 council seats and devolved elections in Scotland and Wales, is widely viewed as the first major electoral test of Starmer’s leadership since Labour ended 14 years of Conservative rule in a landslide national victory.

Inside Labour, unease has begun to surface. Reports suggested senior figures, including Energy Secretary and former leader Ed Miliband, had privately raised the idea of a leadership timetable after the elections.

But Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy rejected any suggestion of immediate change, warning against destabilising the government and arguing that governing parties often struggle mid-term. He acknowledged voter anger but said Labour needed to "pick up the pace” and refocus on delivery rather than internal debate.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage framed the results as a turning point, claiming the traditional left-right political divide was eroding as his party made gains in both Labour and Conservative territory. Early projections suggested Reform could emerge as the single biggest gainer across the contest, particularly in working-class, white British areas where dissatisfaction with mainstream parties has been growing.

Labour’s difficulties are being compounded by broader national headwinds, including persistent cost-of-living pressures, high energy prices, and criticism over slow economic progress. The government has also been hit by political fallout from the dismissal of former ambassador Peter Mandelson over links to Jeffrey Epstein, adding to a sense of turbulence around Starmer’s leadership.

Polling ahead of the vote had already warned of significant losses. Analysts projected Labour could shed a large portion of the 2,550 council seats it was defending, while Reform was expected to make deep inroads at the expense of both Labour and the Conservatives. In Scotland and Wales, forecasts suggested Labour could fall further behind nationalist and populist rivals, with some projections placing Reform ahead of Labour in parts of Scotland.

Despite the setback, Starmer’s allies insist there is no immediate leadership threat, though speculation continues about possible future challengers, including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Any formal leadership contest would require support from at least a fifth of Labour MPs, a threshold that remains distant for now.