2026 elections mapped: how Labour lost ground in different directions | May 2026 elections
Labor suffered heavy losses in England, Scotland and Wales, losing ground to rivals on the left and right in a fragmented political system.
The charts below show where Labour’s losses were most severe and how the electoral landscape changed as a result.
Protector graphic. Source: BBC PNS series developed by John Curtice and Stephen Fisher
In England, Labor lost ground to Reform England on the right and the Greens on the left.
As of 19.30 on Friday, at least 31 British councils had met. workforce There was a record decline in seat share, in some cases to the lowest level of representation since the 1970s.
Protector graphic. Source: 2026 results via the Press Association. Historic results via Open Council. The record declines were calculated based on the largest annual declines in Labour’s share of seats across the whole council dating back to 1973. Only councils where Labor controls at least 50% of seats are included
In Scotland, the Scottish National Party benefited from split votes while Labor suffered. As reform made gains largely at the expense of the Conservatives, Labor failed to turn discontent with the SNP into gains.
Labour’s collapse in the Senedd seemed all the more existential as it was the first time it had lost power since the Welsh parliament was formed in 1999. The party’s vote share fell by more than half, enough to push it into third place; Plaid Cymru became the largest party and Reform came second.
Maps and graphs highlight how Labor is under pressure from different directions across Great Britain; voters are willing to openly express their dissatisfaction with the government’s performance.
The election led to one of the most shocking results in history for the two establishment parties.
In March, John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde told the Guardian: “We’ve never had five-party politics before. We’re in unprecedented territory and none of us know exactly where this will lead.”
This was also evident in Thursday’s vote, with Curtice confirming that “electoral politics in Britain has become quite fragmented”.
Labor lost its majority in Wales, a number of councils in England, and failed to make significant progress in Scotland. It has lost ground in many councils in its previous stronghold, London.
The Reformation replaced the Conservatives as the largest right-wing force in Wales and Scotland. In England, the loss of strongholds such as Hampshire and eastern England was particularly hurtful to the Conservatives.
The main national beneficiaries were Reform and the Greens; In Wales, Plaid Cymru benefited and the SNP remained strong in Scotland.
On Friday morning the Prime Minister said: “The consequences are difficult, very difficult and there is no covering it up. “We have lost brilliant representatives of the Labor Party across the country, people who have given so much to their communities, to our party.
“And it hurts, and it should hurt, and I take responsibility.”
