UK Local Elections Deliver Early Losses for Labour

Counting is underway across England, Scotland, and Wales in the 2026 local elections, with Labour shedding its first council seats as results trickle in. More than 5,000 council seats are contested in England alone, alongside seats in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd, making this the biggest electoral test of Keir Starmer's government so far. Reform UK is widely expected to make significant gains.