Starmer vows to 'listen to voters' after election drubbing

LONDON, May 9: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised on Saturday he would "listen to voters" after his Labour party received a historic drubbing in local and regional elections.

Disillusioned voters backed hard-right and nationalist parties in Thursday's ballots -- Starmer's biggest electoral test since Labour ousted the Conservatives in 2024.

"The right lesson is to listen to voters," but it "doesn't mean tacking right or left", Starmer, who has faced calls to resign, wrote in the Guardian newspaper.

The anti-immigrant Reform UK party made gains across England, Scotland and Wales -- though Scottish and Welsh parties took the biggest share of seats in those elections.    �"AFP