Sir Keir Starmer faced open revolt within his own party on Friday after more than 30 Labour MPs demanded he resign following a catastrophic night of election losses that left the Government reeling.
With Labour shedding more than 1,400 councillors across England and Wales, the Prime Minister endured what critics described as the gravest political crisis of his premiership, as Reform UK swept through once-safe Labour territory with devastating force.
The scale of the collapse stunned even seasoned Westminster observers. Traditional Labour strongholds, including Tameside, Blackburn, Gateshead and Sunderland, fell amid a populist surge led by Nigel Farage, exposing deep fractures in the party’s former “red wall” coalition.
The turmoil deepened in Wales, where First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat as Labour surrendered its decades-long dominance, triggering fresh questions about whether the party’s electoral decline has become structural rather than cyclical.
By Friday afternoon, dissent inside Labour had burst into the open.
Veteran Left-wing MPs Richard Burgon, John McDonnell and Graham Stringer were among those openly calling for Sir Keir to step aside, while former transport secretary Louise Haigh joined demands for a dramatic reset at the top of government.
Simon Opher, the MP for Stroud, warned the Prime Minister could neither lead Labour into the next general election nor prevent Reform UK from entering Downing Street.
Nadia Whittome accused Labour’s leadership of “doubling down on Reform-lite policies”, saying the party had abandoned working-class communities in pursuit of cautious centrism.
The atmosphere inside Westminster deteriorated further after reports emerged that Ed Miliband had privately advised Sir Keir to begin considering a timetable for departure before the local elections.
Meanwhile, Sir Sadiq Khan issued his starkest warning yet, describing the challenge posed by Reform UK as “existential” unless Labour radically changed course.
Downing Street insisted the Prime Minister retained full confidence in his Cabinet and remained focused on “delivery for working people”. Allies of Sir Keir dismissed talk of resignation as “panic and overreaction”.
But privately, Labour MPs admitted fear was spreading rapidly through the parliamentary party as Reform UK’s advance began reshaping the political map.
For many in Labour, the nightmare is no longer merely electoral defeat — but the possibility that voters who once abandoned the Conservatives for Labour may now be deserting both establishment parties altogether.
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