Elections

Britain, after thirty years Labour also loses Wales. Exploit for Farage's Reform

Huge defeat for Starmer's party: it loses over 500 seats in the local elections in England and control of the Welsh Home Rule Government

by Nicol Degli Innocenti

8 May 2026

I consiglieri del Partito Riformista espongono cartelli davanti al municipio di Havering a Londra, in Gran Bretagna, l'8 maggio 2026. Le elezioni locali si sono svolte in tutto il Regno Unito il 7 maggio 2026. I primi risultati indicano un avanzamento del Partito Riformista e una serie di perdite per il Partito Laburista. EPA/NEIL HALL EPA

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

LONDON - Defeat on all fronts for the ruling Labour Party in Britain: in addition to losing over 500 seats in the local elections in England, Labour has also lost control of the Welsh Autonomous Government. It is a momentous defeat: the Labour Party has ruled in Cardiff without interruption since Wales gained autonomy almost thirty years ago.

The party conceded defeat before the vote count was even over. "We are not in a position to form the next government," said Deputy Premier Huw Irranca-Davies. It is now expected that the Welsh premier, Eluned Morgan, will even lose her seat in the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, and thus be forced out.

Welsh Nationalist Party on course for victory, undermined by Reform

Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, is on its way to victory but is being undermined by Reform, which has crossed the borders of England and will come second in Wales, relegating Labour to a humiliating third place. Turnout was over 50%, well above the norm, demonstrating the importance of this election to the Welsh people.

The nationalist party also prevails in Scotland, as expected

In Scotland, the eve's predictions are coming true: Premier John Swinney, leader of the Snp, the Scottish nationalist party, has already declared victory. If he gets a majority at Holyrood he intends to continue his long battle for Scottish independence. Disappointment also in Edinburgh for the Labour Party, which is on its way to losing votes despite the fact that its popular leader, Anas Sarwar, had tried to distance himself from London during the election campaign by inviting Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign.

Requests for resignation increase for Starmer

A demand that many Labour MPs are making today in light of the party's disastrous results across Britain and in England in particular. Starmer insisted, however, that he does not intend to leave office: he took full responsibility for the defeat but said he intends to stay on to bring about the changes people want. "We have to regain hope and convince voters that things will get better," the PM said.

Nigel Farage's triumph

The vote on 7 May will be remembered as the triumph of Nigel Farage: Reform, the party he founded from the ashes of the Brexit Party, won support beyond all expectations in just five years. His populist, nationalist and anti-immigration message has been enthusiastically received by millions of voters not only in England, where he is on his way to winning 800 seats, but also in Wales and Scotland.

"It is a momentous change," declared Farage, saying that the two-party system that lasted decades in Britain is now "dead and buried". The same message from the other end of the political spectrum came from Zack Polanski, leader of the Greens, who celebrated his party's success and openly called for Starmer's resignation.