British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted yesterday that he will not resign after bruising elections that saw his governing Labour Party suffer big losses and the hard-right Reform UK make major gains.

The local and regional elections were widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he led the centre-left Labour Party to power less than two years ago.

Voters have grown impatient for economic growth and dramatic change after 14 years of Conservative government, and many Labour lawmakers have become despairing at the government’s failure to deliver.