The right defeated the Labor Party in the British elections. What you need to know
The local elections in Great Britain brought a crushing defeat to the Labor Party. The party of Prime Minister Keir Starmer took fourth place and lost more than half of the seats in the councils in which deputies were elected. The right-wing Reform UK party has won a preliminary victory, confirming its leadership in opinion polls. What these elections mean for the country and what kind of signal they send is in the Izvestia article.
What is the importance of elections?
• Local elections in the UK are held every year in May. They elect deputies to the councils of local authorities, mayors, and sometimes police commissioners. This year they also coincided with the parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales. Local elections do not have a significant impact on the politics of the whole country, but they clearly demonstrate changes in the mood of voters and serve as an indicator of confidence in the current government.
• The current elections are particularly significant because of their scale. While in some years only about a thousand deputies of local councils are elected, this time 5,066 mandates and six mayoral posts are at stake, that is, more than a quarter of the elected positions from across the country. The current elections can already be considered as preparations for the general elections, which will be held in 2029 and will determine the composition of the parliament and the government.
• The main intrigue of the local elections was how the ruling Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, would perform. Throughout the year, her ratings have been falling, she has almost never taken first place in opinion polls. She is blamed for widespread price increases and the scandal with financier Jeffrey Epstein, in which prominent party member Peter Mandelson was implicated.
• At the same time, the main rivals of the Labor Party were not the conservatives, but Nigel Farage's right-wing populist Reform UK, founded as a Brexit support party. Until a few years ago, it was considered a marginal political force, but now it consistently ranks first in opinion polls and threatens to become the third most powerful party, shaking the traditional two-party system of Great Britain.
• A year ago, Reform UK already won the local elections, which were much more modest in terms of the number of seats than the current ones. Farage's supporters won 677 seats out of 1,641, or about 30%. But then they defeated, first of all, the Conservatives, who lost almost 13% of parliamentary seats and lost power in all local councils in which they previously had a majority. The Labor Party took only fourth place, when they did not claim much.
How were the elections
In the same year, the Labor Party suffered a crushing defeat. Preliminary calculations show that they lost not only to Reform UK and the Conservatives, but also to the Liberal Democrats. After processing about half of the ballots, Starmer's party won 310 parliamentary mandates, but lost 399, that is, it showed more than twice the worst result than last time. She lost control of many local councils, including the symbolic Westminster district of London, which houses the residence of the Prime Minister and Parliament. In separate councils in Manchester and Wigan, the Labour Party lost the majority it had held for half a century.
• Reform UK has once again won an election that is now much more important than last year. The right-wing parties won 593 seats in the councils, in which they previously had only two representatives. Farage's supporters once again collected about a third of the mandates being played, achieving what only Labor and Conservatives were usually capable of. Among other districts, the right gained control in Havering, one of the districts of London, refuting the stereotype that they are supported only in the provinces.
• For the latter, the current elections have also been unsuccessful. They lost not only to Reform UK, but also to the Liberal Democrats, who won 372 seats and improved their position at the local level. The Conservatives gained 325 seats, while losing 273 mandates. Starting in 2021, they are only losing their positions and giving more and more seats to competing parties. The loss of the majority in Essex County, the home of the current Conservative leader, Kemi Beidnock, should be especially painful.
What changes do the elections bring?
The failure of the Labor Party gave rise to the question of whether Starmer should resign. Some of his fellow party members, disappointed with the election results, have already called for this. The Prime minister himself said that although he was also unhappy with the election results, he intended to remain at the head of the party. However, this election may be the last warning for him, after which those who want to challenge Starmer will declare their intentions. If the Labor Party does not draw the right conclusions in the near future, they will be doomed to lose in the national elections in three years.
At the same time, if earlier the failure of the Labor Party automatically meant the success of the Conservatives, now this link that has been working for decades is breaking. Voters are increasingly choosing right-wing populists from Reform UK as an alternative. Although their influence across the country is still small compared to traditional political forces, the trend indicates that Farage's party will soon be able to compete with them on equal terms.
• The decline of Labour may also have an impact on Scotland and Wales. The positions of the national parties advocating independence from London are strong there. If the Labour Party or the Conservatives lose support in these regions, then it will go to the supporters of separation from England, and not to Reform UK. Although there is no need to talk about a real separation yet, the Starmer government will still receive a new source of pressure that will have to be overcome in order to stabilize its own position.
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