British PM Keir Starmer to attempt reset as pressure mounts after Labour’s election losses

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attempt to reset his government on Monday as pressure grows over his leadership following Labour’s heavy losses in local and regional elections.

In a speech later in the day, Starmer is expected to acknowledge that “incremental change won’t cut it” and promise a broader response focused on economic growth, closer ties with Europe and energy policy.

The move comes after Labour lost nearly 1,500 local council seats and surrendered control of the Welsh government for the first time since devolution began in 1999. The anti-immigration Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, made major gains.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said on Sunday that a leadership contest was not the answer to Labour’s setbacks.

But some Labour lawmakers openly questioned Starmer’s future. Former minister Catherine West said she would seek to trigger a leadership challenge if no cabinet minister moved against him. MP Josh Simons said Starmer had “lost the country.”

Under Labour Party rules, any challenger would need the backing of 81 Labour MPs to force a leadership contest.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner stopped short of calling for Starmer to resign but said the government’s current strategy “isn’t working and it needs to change.”

Despite the unrest, Starmer has insisted he intends to remain in office and lead Labour into the next general election, expected by 2029.

“I’ve always said it’s a decade of national renewal,” he told the Sunday Mirror.