Sir Keir Starmer told ‘change or die’ by rebel MPs as voters say they’ve ‘had enough

Sir Keir Starmer is facing serious pressure from within his own Labour Party after a tough set of local election results. One of his MPs, Dan Carden from Liverpool Walton, warned that Labour is at a critical moment — either they change, or they risk becoming irrelevant.

Carden said working-class people, who once strongly supported Labour, are now turning away because they feel the party no longer represents them. He added that people look at politicians in Westminster and see leaders who feel like strangers.

This warning comes as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party made big gains, including winning a once-safe Labour seat by just six votes and picking up hundreds of council seats. A recent poll found that 63% of people now believe Farage could become the next Prime Minister — far ahead of Starmer, who only has 31% support. Only 6% believe Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has a chance.

The same poll shows that most people think both Starmer and Badenoch should be replaced as party leaders. Many Labour MPs are concerned that the party is focusing too much on climate change goals and not addressing public worries about immigration — two issues that appear to be helping Farage gain support.

Even former Prime Minister Tony Blair recently criticized Labour’s approach to climate change. He said people are being asked to make sacrifices that don’t seem to make a difference to global emissions. Most of those polled agreed with him.

Other Labour members say the party lacks strong leadership. Jo White, MP for Bassetlaw and chair of the Labour Red Wall group, said the usual political response of “we’re listening” won’t be enough this time. She urged Starmer to be bolder, take stronger action, and even compared his need for firm decisions to Donald Trump’s executive orders.

White also warned against cutting winter fuel payments for pensioners, saying it could be a disaster for the party, similar to how the poll tax once hurt the Conservatives.

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage celebrated Reform UK’s success, calling it the end of traditional two-party politics and the fall of the Conservative Party.

He promised to reject migrant placements in Reform-run councils and proposed major cuts in local government, similar to Donald Trump’s style. In a speech, he said Starmer doesn’t have the courage to deal with immigration and told council staff working in diversity and climate roles to look for new jobs.

The Liberal Democrats also made strong gains, taking over 100 council seats and putting pressure on the Conservatives in southern England. Their leader, Ed Davey, claimed they are now the true voice of “Middle England.”

In response to all the criticism, Keir Starmer admitted that voters are frustrated. In an article, he said he understands the public’s anger and promised to speed up efforts to deliver real change.