Polls close in UK poised to punish Starmer's embattled Labour

On Friday, polls closed across UK with preliminary results suggesting a severe punishment for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s embattled Labour government. Following a landslide victory in July 2024, Labour faced a massive backlash from voters across UK, resulting in the loss of key council majorities and significant electoral shifts toward Reform UK and the Green Party.

Nigel Farage's Reform UK was expected to see major gains, with predictions suggesting it could seize over 1,500 seats. Starmer has been embroiled in a scandal over Peter Mandelson, who was sacked as ambassador to Washington over his links to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.