𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

After Labour’s nightmare local election results, Sir Keir Starmer said his party “must respond to the message that voters have sent us”. That message, in the simplest terms, is that people are furious with the current state of play and one that will, surely, loudly reverberate through the corridors of Downing Street.

Exasperated Labour MPs and union chiefs have called on Sir Keir to step down, however the Prime Minister has remained defiant and insisted he “will not walk away”. Backbenchers are concerned the local election results are an omen for what’s to come at the next general election unless Sir Keir resigns after a tumultuous 22 months inside Number 10. The beleaguered Labour leader has vowed to listen and “confront the big challenges the public face with real answers”.

But what does this look like, will he be prepared to do it and is this even possible?

The Express has taken a look at five key issues Sir Keir needs to address to save his premiership.

If you were to go around the country in the days before the elections and ask whether people feel better off under Labour, you’d find it hard to find many who would answer ‘yes’.

Labour got into power after promising not to increase taxes on “working people”, including National Insurance, Income Tax and VAT.

But the Government has ushered in a number of new taxes and hikes, and more are expected — most notably extending the freeze on tax thresholds by a further three years until April 2031, which will see millions of Britons paying more to the taxman.

This all against a backdrop of soaring food, energy and fuel prices, with inflation remaining above the 2% target.

While it is important to stress this has been exacerbated by the Iran war in recent months, many were already feeling the pinch long before.

People are frustrated, especially when it seems pretty clear these taxes on their hard-earned money are being used to fund huge increases to the burgeoning welfare bill (more on that later).

Sir Keir’s promise to “smash the gangs” responsible for smuggling asylum seekers into Britain via the English Channel has so far not worked out.

Labour has struggled to get a real grip on the issue as 41,472 migrants crossed in small boats last year, the second highest on record.

The topic of illegal immigration has become one of the biggest issues for voters, and last summer saw tensions reach a tipping point following a series of protests outside migrant hotels.

Labour has made progress in closing down hotels and increasing the use of “basic accommodation” such as ex-military sites instead.

However, preventing people from making the journey remains a problem and despite the Government claiming last year saw the highest removal rates in almost a decade, the Express this week revealed the vast majority of Channel migrants are dodging deportations.

A staggering 96,002 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Eritrea have arrived in small boats between 2018 and 2025. But only 495 — 0.5% — have been sent back to these countries in seven years.

Some 7,534 small boat migrants have been removed since 2018, according to research by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.

These years include both Tory and Labour governments and it is telling that Reform UK — seen as having the toughest stance on immigration — made huge gains in the local elections at the expense of the two traditional main parties.

Labour getting a hold of the small boat crossings would almost certainly be one of the easiest ways to get many voters back on side.

The welfare budget under Sir Keir has expanded amid pressure from disgruntled Labour backbenchers to not make cuts.

Welfare spending was forecast to rise by £18 billion to £333 billion in the 2025-26 financial year — more than the amount raised from income tax (£331 billion).

A further increase of nearly £20 billion is predicted for the following year.

Both the Conservatives and Reform UK have voiced concerns, all while almost one million young people are not in work, education or training.

The lifting of the two-child benefit cap by Rachel Reeves in November’s Budget has also proved controversial — the Tories and Reform say they would reimpose it.

As outlined above, many Britons are already strapped for cash, and fears are looming that taxpayers will increasingly be picking up the tab as the welfare bill explodes.

New figures this week showed more than 600,000 households received more than the average worker’s salary in benefits last year.

The Government is also under increasing pressure to divert funds away from welfare to defence amid soaring tensions.

Labour, which has faced accusations of losing touch with the working class, may need to make changes to welfare to avoid haemorrhaging more of its voters as the Greens and Reform join forces to capitalise.

There have been repeated warnings from businesses across sectors about the impact of Labour’s changes.

Hikes to employer National Insurance Contributions (NIC), plus increases in the national living and minimum wage, have all put additional pressure on businesses — from big companies to the self-employed.

Increases to business rates have also been a blow to retailers and the hospitality industry, with major chains also impacted, hitting high streets across the country.

Last month, the head of fast-food chain Leon accused the Government of “totally killing the restaurant industry”.

The UKHospitality trade body earlier this year warned more than 2,000 hospitality venues could close in 2026 due to business rate increases.

Labour then performed (another) mini U-turn by offering live music venues and pubs a 15% relief — however, this did not apply to hotels, restaurants or cafes.

If more and more venues and businesses are to close under the weight of Labour’s heavy taxes, then this would represent a real own goal for Sir Keir.

Not only would this cause more damage to our high streets and see jobs lost, but also increasingly potentially push some companies to look abroad or business owners to not back Labour as the Tories and Reform both frame themselves as pro-business parties.

Sir Keir’s EU ‘reset’ plans have proved controversial with accusations he is planning to drag the UK back into the bloc “by the back door”.

He is looking to align the UK with Brussels rules by passing a new law which would allow EU single market rules to be adopted through secondary legislation, likely meaning new rules being rubber stamped by MPs as Parliament can either approve or reject secondary legislation but cannot amend it.

The plans, expected to apply to areas such as food and drink, have sparked a furious reaction — Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says they represent “the worst of both worlds”.

Express readers have voiced their fury, with almost 96% in a poll saying they believe Sir Keir should resign over the plans.

If this offers any insight into the wider public consensus, then this seems a very risky move and could have a double-whammy effect.

Not only could it put EU-sceptics off voting Labour, but it could also see them look towards Nigel Farage, a Brexit figurehead and one of Labour’s biggest threats.