Key Points
- More than half of voters want Sir Keir Starmer to resign if Labour performs badly in the local elections on May 7, according to a JL Partners poll of 3,022 British adults.
- The poll found 58 per cent believe Sir Keir should step down after a poor result, while 20 per cent think he should stay and 22 per cent do not know.
- Three in five voters said Sir Keir should pay the price for an expected heavy Labour defeat and possible loss of control of the Welsh Senedd.
- Only 18 per cent said there is a Labour figure who would make a better leader than Sir Keir, while 41 per cent said there is not and 41 per cent did not know.
- Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner are seen in Westminster as the most likely Labour figures to challenge Sir Keir if a contest emerged.
- The backdrop is the growing backlash over the Lord Mandelson vetting scandal and the sacking of Sir Olly Robbins, which has triggered infighting in Whitehall.
- Gabe Winn of Blakeney said the polling shows Labour’s problems are “much deeper and broader” than many assumed.
- JL Partners also forecasts gains for the SNP in Scotland, Plaid Cymru becoming the biggest party in Wales, Reform making gains across England, and the Greens eating into Labour’s urban support.
Labour Leader Under Pressure?
London (Britain Today News) April 23, 2026 – Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure ahead of the local elections on May 7, with a new poll suggesting many voters want him to resign if Labour suffers a heavy defeat. The JL Partners survey has intensified scrutiny of the Prime Minister at a moment when his leadership is already being tested by the fallout from the Lord Mandelson vetting affair and tensions inside government.
As reported by the JL Partners polling for Blakeney, three in five voters want Sir Keir to take responsibility for poor results, while a clear majority said he should resign if Labour is badly beaten. The findings come as Labour braces for a difficult set of contests that could leave the party weakened in England and potentially stripped of control in Wales.
What Did The Poll Find?
The poll of 3,022 British adults shows a sharp level of dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister’s position if Labour underperforms on election day. The headline result is that 58 per cent believe Sir Keir should resign if Labour does badly, which is far ahead of the 20 per cent who think he should remain in post. Another 22 per cent said they did not know.
The same survey also asked whether there is a Labour figure who could do a better job leading the party and the country. Only 18 per cent said yes, 41 per cent said no, and 41 per cent were unsure. That split suggests voters are dissatisfied with Starmer, but not convinced that an obvious replacement is waiting in the wings.
Why Is Starmer Facing Backlash?
The Prime Minister’s position has been weakened by anger over the handling of the Lord Mandelson vetting scandal. According to the report, No 10 was not told that Lord Mandelson had failed security vetting before he was appointed British ambassador to the United States, and Sir Keir later described that omission as “unforgivable”.
The fallout widened after Sir Olly Robbins, the head civil servant at the Foreign Office, was forced out. Sir Olly told the foreign affairs committee that he had done nothing wrong, while senior civil servants reportedly pushed for his reinstatement and Whitehall became mired in infighting. That controversy has added to the sense that the Government is on the defensive rather than in control.
Who Could Challenge Him?
Westminster insiders see Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner as the most likely Labour figures to emerge as possible challengers if leadership tensions become open conflict. However, the poll suggests the wider public does not yet regard any alternative as clearly stronger than Sir Keir. That leaves Labour with a leadership problem and no easy replacement story.
Potential contender Andy Burnham is not currently eligible to run because he is not an MP. The report also notes that Mr Burnham was blocked by Sir Keir and his allies from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, and Labour then lost the traditionally safe Greater Manchester seat to the Greens. That episode has fed speculation about internal divisions and long-term party weakness.
What Did Blakeney Say?
Gabe Winn, chief executive of Blakeney, said the polling points to deeper problems for Labour than many expected. He said voters are not only done with Keir Starmer, but are increasingly blaming his government for the condition of their local areas. In his view, the May 7 results could drain much of the remaining support Starmer still has inside the party.
Winn also warned that Labour faces a succession problem because fewer than one in five voters think the party has anyone suitable to replace the Prime Minister. He contrasted that with the Conservatives in 2022, when well-known and popular alternatives were available. His conclusion was that Labour is trapped between a leader voters have lost faith in and a leadership question it is not ready to answer.
What Could The Elections Change?
The same polling forecast suggests major political shifts across the UK if the local elections and devolved votes follow the current trend. JL Partners predicts an SNP majority in the Holyrood election, Plaid Cymru becoming the biggest party in the Welsh Senedd, and Labour slipping to third place behind Reform in Wales. In England, Reform is forecast to make large gains in the North and East, while the Greens are expected to chip away at Labour in inner-city councils in the North and London.
These projections underline why May 7 is being treated as a critical test for Starmer’s leadership. A poor result could embolden critics inside the party, sharpen comparisons with past leadership crises, and make the question of succession more immediate. Even so, the public polling also shows there is no clear consensus around who should take over, which may give the Prime Minister some breathing space if the results are bad but not catastrophic.
Why Does This Matter Now?
This story matters because it combines electoral pressure, internal party instability and a lack of obvious alternatives. Starmer is not only being judged on expected local election losses, but also on how he is handling a damaging government scandal that has spread beyond one appointment mistake. The result is a leadership debate that could deepen if Labour underperforms on May 7.
For now, the public mood appears to be that Starmer should be held accountable if Labour fails, but that the party itself has not yet produced a convincing successor. That combination is politically awkward, because it weakens the leader without offering an easy path forward. It is also why the coming elections are likely to shape not just Labour’s standing, but the next phase of its internal politics.
