Keir Starmer crisis as polling guru warns Labour support in 'free fall'

Support for the is in "freefall" following "devastating" local elections, veteran pollster Sir John Curtice has warned. The polling guru believes the party's performance should be particularly worrying for Sir Keir Starmer and co given they've only been in office for 10 months.

He added Labour voters lost to Reform UK and the Greens "are not likely to return to the party any time soon", according to . Sir John also echoed the statement repeatedly made by the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage that his party are now the de facto opposition, not the Conservatives.

Despite having "little to lose" at the local elections on May 1, Labour still managed to lose two-thirds of the seats they held. The party's share of the vote fell be an average of nine points on its 2021 performance.

And yet, in its heartland Red Wall areas, the party's vote share fell even further, dropping as much as 19 points.

Reform UK were the chief beneficiaries of Labour's poor showing, taking a stunning 677 council seats across England and taking control of 10 councils the length and breadth of the country.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats nearly doubled their seats to 370 overall, winning control of three councils.

Reform also pipped Labour in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes after a recount. Sir John pointed to "disappointment with Labour's record in office" as a main driver behind Labour's dire night.

Former Shadow Home Secretary and vocal Starmer critic Diane Abbott warned against trying to "echo Reform", dubbing the strategy "a party disaster."

Meanwhile Health Secretary Wes Streeting conceded voters have been "shouting at the telly" because they are not feeling the change promised by Labour at the general election.