Paul Smith, the YouGov Director of Public Data and Affairs, said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer must resign for the Labour Party to recover.
The call for resignation follows heavy losses for the Labour Party in local elections held on May 8, 2026 [1]. These results suggest a significant disconnect between the current administration and the electorate across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Speaking on Sky News Australia, Smith said Starmer is the most unpopular prime minister YouGov has ever tracked in its polling at this stage of the political cycle.
Smith said the party's struggles are tied directly to the leadership. He said, "It’s about him, and he has to go for the party to recover."
The electoral defeats have prompted similar calls for a change in leadership from within the party, including some Labour MPs, ministers, and unions. These groups said Starmer should step down following what they described as an election disaster.
Despite the pressure from polling experts and internal party members, Starmer has signaled his intention to remain in office. He said he will stay on as prime minister and deliver change for the British people [2].
The local elections served as a critical barometer for the government's popularity. The scale of the losses has intensified the debate over whether the Labour Party can maintain its current trajectory under Starmer's leadership, or if a new figurehead is required to stabilize the party's support base.
“"It’s about him, and he has to go for the party to recover."”
The intersection of poor local election results and record-low polling data creates a precarious situation for Keir Starmer. While the Prime Minister has publicly refused to resign, the public endorsement of his departure by a prominent data authority like YouGov provides external validation for internal party dissent, potentially accelerating a leadership challenge within the Labour Party.
