Faced with disheartening polls concerning his leadership of the Labour Party and as the nation’s Prime Minister, it might be that Sir Keir Starmer would want to take solace from a new graphic charting local election results. But far from being the comfort the PM might be seeking, a new chart released by electoral watchers, Election Maps UK, shows bad news for the aggregate result of the 115 Council By-Elections (for 118 Seats) since the 2025 local elections.
Worryingly for Sir Keir, since the May 1 ballot, data shows that Reform UK has gained 44 council seats, and the Liberal Democrats have secured nine. But in stark contrast, Labour has lost a dismal 29 seats, while the Conservatives have only lost 12. Since the local elections, Labour has secured 12 council seats – only one more than the Green Party.
The Prime Minister, who has just come out of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, faces questions about his leadership and speculation about a challenge from Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage’s party continues to enjoy a comfortable advantage in the polls, and Labour faces a battle to keep its promises on taxation, spending and immigration.
At the recent Labour Party conference Sir Keir and several ministers took direct aim of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage personally in an attempt to dent Reform’s astonishing lead in the polls. The PM and his colleagues stepped up their attacks on Mr Farage’s party, repeatedly branding Reform’s policy to remove the right to remain from some migrants legally living in Britain as “racist” and “immoral”.
However, speaking with Sky’s Beth Rigby, as part of a series of interviews following the embattled PM’s keynote speech at this year’s Labour Party conference, Sir Keir said he did not believe Mr Farage himself was racist.
He said: “No, nor do I think Reform voters are racist. They’re concerned about things like our borders, they’re frustrated about the pace of change.
“I’m not for a moment suggesting that they are racist.”
In an interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC, Sir Keir rejected Mr Farage’s claim that his painting of Reform policies as racist “will incite and encourage the radical left” and threaten the safety of Reform members.
Asked if he had put his political opponent at risk, the PM said: “No, that’s not the case.”
Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Farage said his opinion of Sir Keir had shifted as a result of the PM’s comments at the conference.
“We might disagree on our worldview, but until this weekend I believed he was a reasonable human being,” he said.
“Now I’m shocked at his behaviour. I hope that when he wakes up this morning, he feels ashamed of what he has done to British politics over the past few days.”