Cracks showing for Labour close to back yards of Starmer’s top team

Keir Starmer hates to lose. Unsurprisingly, he refused to walk away and end his premiership as Labour’s local election losses began to trickle in on Friday morning. Upon entering Downing Street in July 2024 after leading Labour to a historic general election victory, Starmer promised the public that his government would “fight every day until you believe again”. Now, Starmer is faced with the uncomfortable truth that the frustrated yet united coalition that brought him into No 10 hoping for change is completely fractured and its discontent cannot be dismissed as early midterm blues. The challenge Labour faces is multidirectional, which could prove difficult for strategists around Starmer who have been focused on the threat of Reform. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA The cracks are showing very close to the political backyards of Starmer and his top team. Reform UK has pushed through into Labour’s old working-class heartlands across parts of northern England and the Midlands, many of which voted for Brexit. Meanwhile, the Greens undermined Labour’s progressive base with mayoralty wins in Hackney and Lewisham. Soft left members of the parliamentary Labour party believe Starmer should see the losses, and the fragmentation of politics, as a sign to re-engage progressive voters who feel cast aside. But it is clear the challenge Labour faces is multidirectional, which could prove difficult for strategists around Starmer who have been focused on the threat of Reform. …