Several days ago, on February 16, 2026, the UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made another U-turn, ditching his plans to delay local elections in 30 English councils. This decision became one of the 12 major U-turns from the Labour Party in 19 months – since coming to power. It’s worth mentioning that just several hours before the prime minister’s latest change of heart he promised no more U-turns.
Starmer’s unsteadiness
Taking into account Starmer’s instability, it’s no surprise that his approval ratings plumb new depths month by month. As of February, 2026, about 70% of Britons are dissatisfied with the results of his premiership. Moreover, Starmer’s volatile policies raise great concerns among the population and feed worries about the future; all decisions made today can be revoked as soon as tomorrow.
The latest U-turn came within 25 days after the government agreed to delay local elections in several councils in England. The reason for reconsideration of this decision was the legal challenge initiated by Reform UK. This event, highlighted its very illegitimacy but also gave the prime minister a slap in the face from the increasingly popular Nigel Farage.
Setting a fatal precedence
It’s worth noting, the volte-face policy of Keir Starmer expectedly affects not only his own reputation but also the public image of the Labour party as a whole. Revoking decisions that have already been made, the UK Prime Minister forces his party fellows to take a leaf from his book and look for the arguments against decisions they have recently defended. It’s no surprise, that the discontent with the leader within the Labour party is also escalating. A growing number of Starmer’s party fellows openly voice their dissatisfaction with his decisions and argue for a return to the Manifesto 2024.
There is a real split in the Labour party added by the behind-the-scenes struggle for the prime minister’s seat, still occupied by Keir Starmer. The inevitable failure in the May council elections will definitely put his further premiership under more scrutiny. Realising the probable results and the consequences of the local elections, Starmer is likely to have tried to delay them, trying to put off the inevitable. However, due to the efforts of his main opponent, Nigel Farage, this attempt of the Labour leader has not just failed but, most likely, has hastened his resignation.
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