Local election results live: Starmer faces mounting pressure from MPs and unions over heavy losses

Donald Trump congratulated John Swinney after the SNP retained its position as the largest party at Holyrood for the fifth election in a row.

In a post on social media, the US president wrote: “Congratulations to John Swinney on his re-election as First Minister of Scotland.

“He is a good man, he worked hard with the King and Queen of the UK on the Tariff reduction for Great Scotch Whiskey and he deserves this Great Election Victory!”

It comes after the prime minister refused to heed Mr Trump’s calls for military aid to the Strait of Hormuz, following rising tensions between the president and Sir Keir Starmer over the Iran war.

Former minister Catherine West has joined calls for Starmer to stand down.

In a post published on X on Saturday morning, the Hornsey and Friern Barnet MP said he “absolutely” believed he should outline his intention to resign and oversee an “orderly transition” to a new leader.

Labor deputy leader Lucy Powell described the results as “incredibly painful” for the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

He said he “takes responsibility” for Labor’s disastrous consequences, adding: “He is very thoughtful, he understands, as do I, that these are very difficult, incredibly painful consequences for Labor.”

He told BBC Breakfast: “He accepts responsibility, says we need to change. He hears what people are saying.”

He says the correct course of action is for the party to “think, hear, listen” and “stand behind Keir as leader and move forward as one team”.

He insisted Sir Keir, who is being challenged over a potential leadership issue, would still be prime minister in six months’ time, adding: “We are not doing hostile takeovers in the Labor Party.”

Calling for a change in leadership, Labor MP Connor Naismith rejected suggestions Andy Burnham would struggle to win a by-election to enter parliament.

Greater Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham needs to win the Westminster seat to vie for the party leadership but Labor has suffered defeat in local elections in the North West.

Mr Naismith, MP for Crewe and Nantwich, said Mr Burnham could buck the trend.

He said: “Andy is the most popular Labor politician in the country. Any suggestion that he cannot win some of the seats Labor is currently trying to win is completely false.

“Ironically, that’s exactly why we need him at the forefront of national policy.”

In a post on social media last night, he described Sir Keir Starmer as an “honest man” but said new leadership was needed to “bring together a broad coalition of voters”.

It didn’t take an aspiring politician insider to realize that Labor was in serious trouble in Wales and had been for a long time.

Nearly half a million of its 3 million population are estimated to live in “deep poverty”, while the decline in the industrial base means large parts of the Welsh Valleys face high deprivation, an underperforming education sector and low income levels.

The Independent’s senior correspondent Holly Evans was in Newport yesterday. You can read the full report below:

All the results came from the Scottish elections, where the Scottish National Party (SNP) lost seats but remained the largest party in Holyrood.

While leader John Swinney declared that the SNP had “definitely” won the election, his party failed to reach the 65 seats required for a majority.

Labor lost four seats and placed 17th.

Meanwhile, Reform UK won 17 seats, matching Labour’s figures.

The Scottish Greens won six seats, bringing their total to 15, while the Liberal Democrats also won six seats, for a total of 10.

The Conservatives are down 19 points and now have just 12 seats at Holyrood.

Labor veteran Clive Betts said the Cabinet should make it clear to Sir Keir Starmer that he should go “in the not too distant future”.

The Sheffield South East MP told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I don’t think rebooting and renewing and renewing and all the talk that’s going around is going to make any difference, unfortunately.”

He said the public had “stopped listening” to the prime minister.

“I think there are three scenarios: One is that Keir continues until the next election and we lose, and we lose badly.

“Secondly, Keir eventually decides to resist and a move is made to get rid of him, there is an internal fight and then the public does not like parties fighting among themselves, which could lead to election defeat.

“Or Keir accepts that he must resign in the not too distant future for the good of the country and the government.

“I think the Cabinet now has a responsibility to talk to Keir and accept that this cannot go on indefinitely as they are clearly on the doorstep.

“There has to be a timeline. There has to be a way to appropriately and constructively install a new leader within the next few months.”

After Thursday’s elections, there are five councils left to announce results.

All in London: Lambeth, Lewisham, Watford, Croydon are expected to announce around 4pm on Saturday.

Tower Hamlets in east London is expected to make a final statement around 6pm.

It has been a hot 24 hours for the Labor Party in Britain, which has lost overall control of some councils it had previously controlled for decades.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party has now won 997 seats and lost 1,406 seats.

Reform UK was the biggest winner, increasing its number of councilors from 1,442 to 1,444.

Results have been mixed for Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives, who won back Westminster City Council from Labor but have long lost their majority in Essex to Reform. They have lost 557 council members so far.

The Green Party started the day with 515 council members, down from 374. They hailed Friday’s massive victory in the Hackney mayoral election previously held by the Labor Party.

The Liberal Democrats also increased the number of council members from 151 to 834.

Counting continues today in various parliaments. In this blog we will bring you the latest developments.

Some Labor MPs have broken ranks to suggest their leaders should review yesterday’s disastrous election results.

Former cabinet minister Louise Haigh said: “I think what is very clear is that the prime minister cannot lead us to another election unless the government makes significant and urgent change.”

Olivia Blake, Labor MP for Sheffield Hallam, said the Prime Minister “needs to think about his own position”.

“The party is kidding ourselves if we think Keir Starmer is going to take us to the next election,” he told the BBC. “Now a plan needs to be made for what happens next.”

“We need an organized plan,” he said Independent.

Richard Burgon, leader of the Socialist Campaign Group of left-wing Labor MPs, said: “It’s clear Keir is in his last election as Labor leader and deep down he will know it.”

Former stalwart Simon Opher, MP for Stroud, warned Labor could allow Nigel Farage to become Prime Minister unless he changes leader, adding: “If we go into the next election with him as leader we will be slaughtered.”

And Knowsley Labor MP Anneliese Midgley said: Guard: “Unless this situation changes significantly and quickly, it is clear that the Prime Minister cannot lead us to another election.”