2026 Set as Crucial Year for Labour and Prime Minister Keir Starmer
The year 2026 is considered a pivotal moment for Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour Party, amid discreet campaigns to potentially replace him within the party.
The critical test will come on May 7, 2026, with elections for the Welsh Parliament (Senedd), the Scottish Parliament, and numerous English local authorities.
Currently, Labour governs the Senedd and many English councils; however, significant losses in Wales could result in Labour losing devolved power there for the first time since 1999.
Discussions about potential successors to Starmer include Wes Streeting, Andy Burnham, and Shabana Mahmood, though leadership succession remains unsettled.
In Scotland, Labour urges voters to assess its leadership in the context of the Scottish National Party's (SNP) 18-year rule, despite polling indicating Labour's popularity trailing that of the SNP, with Reform UK also contesting seats.
Outside London, the electoral landscape is further complicated by Liberal Democrat gains in the south and rising Green Party support under Zack Polanski, while the Conservative Party under Kemi Badenoch faces a downturn.
The government is anticipated to promote a narrative that the 2026 elections will deliver the change Labour promised, emphasizing the cost of living crisis and portraying stability as a virtue.
