North Yorkshire mayor reacts to local election results

Labour lost hundreds of councillors in England while Reform UK made stunning gains at the local elections.

City of York Council does not have local elections in May 2026, with the local authority’s next scheduled elections for May 2027

York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith said “leaders need a clear plan” and “dogged determinism to follow it” to get out of a “mess that dates back to the financial crash of 2008”.

“When all the votes are counted we can expect to have lost over a thousand hard working local councillors,” the Labour mayor said.

“I’m worried that they’ll be replaced by parties who put division and opportunism before the needs of the public, by parties who care more about furthering their own ambition than building their communities up.

“I am incredibly worried for towns and cities across Yorkshire and the country who, through frustration, have just elected a dysfunctional, divisive, and dangerous party in Reform UK.”

He added: “We need to do far more to address the cost of living crisis, restore pride and purpose in our communities, and give people optimism about the future of our amazing country again.”

The prime minister insisted he would not quit and plunge the country into chaos after Reform UK piled on councillors across the country, as Nigel Farage claimed there had been a “truly historic shift in British politics”.

Sir Keir Starmer, whose position was already under pressure over Labour’s plummeting poll ratings, said: “The results are tough, they are very tough, and there’s no sugar-coating it.

“We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country, these are people who put so much into their communities, so much into our party.

“And that hurts, and it should hurt, and I take responsibility.”

Mr Skaith said: “I do not think it is the right thing to do to default to the chopping and changing of governments that we saw four years ago.

“It’s unstable. But, communities in York and North Yorkshire and across the country need, now more than ever, to clearly see and feel that this is a government that is on their side and is taking steps to prove that.

“I will certainly be continuing to do everything I can to deliver a positive difference to the communities of York and North Yorkshire.”

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Based on results so far, Bookmakers William Hill has Nigel Farage’s party odds-on at 10/11 to win the most seats at the next general election.

The party has so far gained 645 councillors, compared to losses of 468 for Labour and 283 for the Conservatives.

Mr Farage said: “It’s a big, big day, not just for our party, but for a complete reshaping of British politics in every way.”

Numbers for the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party are in the positive but at a low level compared to Reform, with gains of 33 and 86 respectively.

But beyond the headline numbers, it matters where losses and gains are made, with both Labour and the Conservatives now vulnerable in traditional heartlands that previously shored up an entrenched two-party dominance.

Reform has already made significant gains at the expense of both parties.