The Take: The implosion of Keir Starmer’s Labour
The UK has had six prime ministers in 10 years. Is it ready for a seventh?
![Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts a reception to mark the introduction of the Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill, at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, May 19, 2026. [Jaimi Joy/Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-05-19T074208Z_156248441_RC27CLAHSMJ6_RTRMADP_3_BRITAIN-BUSINESS-1779288456.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing the biggest crisis of his leadership after Labour’s bruising council election losses caused panic inside the party. As Nigel Farage and Reform UK gain ground, we examine why Starmer’s authority appears to be slipping before any formal challenge has even begun and whether Britain is entering another period of political instability.
In this episode:
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- Kieran Andrieu (@kieran_andrieu), Political Economist
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz and Sarí el-Khalili, with Spencer Cline, Tuleen Barakat, Catherine Nouhan and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandakar.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.
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