Labour MPs reportedly give Keir Starmer until Christmas to turn party around after local election losses
Labour MPs are reportedly giving Sir Keir Starmer until Christmas to change the party’s direction after a bruising set of local election results exposed growing frustration with his leadership.
The reported deadline comes after Labour suffered heavy losses in local and regional elections while Reform UK made major gains across England. Starmer has rejected calls to resign, saying he takes responsibility for the results but will not “walk away” or “plunge the country into chaos.”
The results have intensified pressure on the prime minister less than two years after he led Labour into government. The Associated Press reported that the elections were widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer’s leadership, with voters showing impatience over the pace of economic and social change.
Labour’s losses were particularly damaging in areas the party has long considered part of its political base. The Guardian reported that Labour lost councillors in traditional northern heartlands, while Reform took control of Newcastle-under-Lyme from Labour and won all 12 seats being contested in Hartlepool.
The Christmas deadline has not been publicly confirmed by named Labour MPs, but it follows earlier reporting that some within the party had already discussed giving Starmer until at least Christmas to recover. The Guardian reported last week that several Labour MPs had described the mood inside the party as “existential,” with some turning toward Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as a possible future successor.
Some Labour figures are no longer waiting. Jonathan Brash, the Labour MP for Hartlepool, called for Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure after Reform’s sweep in the town. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell also said a leadership change must be “on the agenda” if the wider results proved as bad as feared.
Norwich South MP Clive Lewis went further, telling ITV News Anglia that Labour’s performance was not merely a bad night but a “political crisis.” He said a timetable for Starmer’s departure was necessary, warning that delay could do greater damage to both the party and the country.
Starmer’s allies argue that removing a prime minister during a period of political instability would deepen Labour’s problems rather than solve them. The prime minister has said voters sent a message about the pace of change, but he has insisted that he remains the person responsible for meeting those challenges.
For Labour, the reported Christmas deadline suggests a fragile compromise: Starmer may survive the immediate aftermath of the local elections, but his leadership now appears tied to whether he can quickly restore confidence among voters and MPs.
