Nigel Farage Wants Keir Starmer to Stay in No 10

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said he wants Keir Starmer to stay on as prime minister, describing him as “the greatest asset” Reform has. 

Labour has already suffered a disastrous set of local election results, despite it being early in the count, while Reform is celebrating winning a third of seats declared so far. 

Farage was speaking outside Havering Town Hall after Reform’s victory in the east London borough – the first London borough council win for Reform in the party’s history. 

Asked about the viability of Starmer staying on as prime minister, the Reform leader told reporters: “I suspect when you see the full results in the red wall, they’ll be a rebellion. Personally I would be very sad to see the prime minister go – he is the greatest asset we have got.”

Havering was previously under no overall control, but was dominated by Residents Association and Conservative councillors. Reform has won 39 of 55 councillors available, becoming the majority party. The Tories were decimated, going from 14 councillors to zero. 

The idea of the Labour leader being an “asset” for Reform was one also echoed by a number of Labour figures. 

“The person who came up on the doorstep again and again and again was the leader of the Labour party, Keir Starmer,” Labour’s group leader in Hull, Daren Hale, told the BBC.

Hale said he was told: “We like what you do but you are a representative of him, and if we want to get a message to him we have to get it through you.”

Tom Midlane is a freelance journalist.