The State of It: Reform shake Labour to its core

The State of It: Reform shake Labour to its core

From The Story by The Times

May 8, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of recent local elections on British politics, particularly focusing on Labour's losses and the rise of Reform and the Greens.

For now, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer vows to stay as the Reform leader Nigel Farage calls this a “truly historic shift in British politics”. Steven and Lara caught up at the Times office in Westminster just after 4pm to unpack the results from England’s local council and mayoral elections, alongside national contests in Scotland and Wales, as Reform and the Greens surge and Labour suffer huge losses. Hosts: Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Picture credit: Getty Images This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe  here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Steven Swinford, Lara Spirit

Topics covered

  • British politics
  • Labour Party
  • local elections
  • political reform
  • Green Party
  • Reform Party

Keywords

  • Keir Starmer
  • Nigel Farage
  • Labour
  • Reform
  • local elections
  • politics
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Green Party

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Times, The Sunday Times, Acast

Places: England, Scotland, Wales

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