British Voters Cast Ballots In Local Elections Seen As A Verdict On Keir Starmer’s Leadership

LONDON (AP) — British voters cast their votes Thursday local and regional elections This could shake up the country’s politics and deal a heavy blow to countries at war. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer’s centre-left Labor Party is bracing for major losses at polls that will elect around 5,000 local councilors and a handful of mayors across England, as well as semi-autonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales. These are the biggest elections since Labor came to power by a landslide in July 2024, and Starmer’s opponents have portrayed them as follows: mid-term referendum about the prime minister.

Polls will close at 22:00 (21:00 GMT) and some local authorities will count the votes overnight, but the bulk of the results are likely to be announced on Friday afternoon.

A defeat could trigger moves by restive Labor MPs to oust a leader. brought them to power less than two years ago. Even if Starmer survives for now, many analysts doubt he will lead the party to the next national elections, due in 2029.

Starmer’s popularity plummeted after this incident repeated missteps Since becoming prime minister in July 2024. The government had difficulty in realizing the promised economic growth and restoration. broken public services and alleviate living expenses; Things have become even more difficult due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, which blocks oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

PM further damaged by disastrous decision on appointment Peter MandelsonBritain’s ambassador to Washington is a scandal-tainted friend of Jeffrey Epstein.

Labor is defending around 2,500 seats on English local councils and party members are worried it could lose many of them.

Starmer has already survived a crisis In February, when some Labor MPs, including the party’s leader in Scotland, called on him to resign over Mandelson’s appointment.

He has promised to serve out his five-year term but a poor result could lead to a challenge from a high-profile rival like the Health Minister Wes Streetformer Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner or Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham. Alternatively, Starmer may face pressure to set a timetable for his departure from the party after an orderly leadership contest.

Luke Tryl, of pollster More in Common, said local elections were likely to see a “complete collapse of the traditional two-party system” where Labor and Conservative parties have dominated for decades.

The big winner is expected to be the far-right Reform UK party. Under the leadership of Nigel FarageHe targets former Labor Party strongholds of the working class in the north of England and the outer edges of London with his anti-establishment and anti-immigration message. Green Party He is also likely to win hundreds of council seats in urban centers and university towns.

The main opposition Conservative Party is also expected to lose ground, while the centrist Liberal Democrats are expected to make some gains.

Starmer didn’t even mention the Conservatives in his final pre-election message, framing it as a choice between “progress and a better future” under Labor and “the anger and division offered by Reformation or the empty promises of the Greens”.

Farage said on the eve of the election that a strong result from Reform would mean Starmer was “gone in the middle of summer”.

Both Reformation England and the Greens have grown rapidly in the last year or two and have faced increased scrutiny as a result. Farage faces questions about a £5 million ($6.8 million) donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire he accepted but did not declare in 2024. He says it’s a personal gift.

The environmentalist Greens, who have emphasized their pro-Palestinian credentials under self-described “eco-populist” leader Zack Polanski, have expelled several candidates for antisemitic social media posts.

Reformation also awaits breakthroughs in Scotland and Wales; but pro-independence nationalists the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are likely to form governments in Edinburgh and Cardiff.

“Labour will lose to Reform in some places, to the Greens in others, and here and there they will lose a seat or two to the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives,” said Tony Travers, professor of government at the London School of Economics. “They are fighting on four fronts in England and five in Wales and Scotland.”