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Fresh blow for Keir Starmer as Labour loses over 20% of council by-elections

Six months since winning a historic landslide in July, Labour has lost 33 council seats in by-elections across England, Scotland and Wales, and gained only six.

Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah Visits UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer

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Labour have lost 22% of council by-elections across the country. (Image: Getty)

Labour has suffered a significant loss of council seats since the general election, with analysis revealing that the party has lost five times as many seats as it has gained.

In the six months following their historic landslide victory on July 4, Labour has lost 33 council seats in by-elections across England, Scotland and Wales, while only gaining six.

In contrast, the Tories have seen a net gain of 24 seats, marking a stark reversal of fortunes for both parties since the general election.

Reform UK has also made a net gain of seven seats, while the Lib Dems and Greens have each added two to their tally, according to the figures compiled by pollster Sir Robert Hayward for The Telegraph.

This serves as a stark warning to Keir Starmer, whose approval ratings have taken a hit since he took office, with a recent survey indicating that he is more unpopular after five months in No 10 than any other premier since the late 1970s.

Reform UK Press Conference

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK gained seven seats. (Image: Getty)

A recent poll by the More in Common think tank suggested that if an election were held now, Labour would lose almost 200 of the seats it won in July.

The party lost 33 council seats it previously held in recent by-elections. Between July 5 and December 19, there were 176 council by-elections, with Labour contesting 151 and losing roughly 21% of those.

Despite gaining six seats from other parties, the net result was a loss of 27 seats for Starmer’s party.

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