Catherine West, Labour MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and a former junior Foreign Office minister, told the BBC's PM programme she will start collecting signatures from the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday morning to trigger a leadership contest if no cabinet challenger to Keir Starmer has emerged. Her preferred outcome, she said, is a cabinet reshuffle that moves Starmer to an "international role." Labour has lost more than 1,400 English council representatives, control of Bradford, Calderdale, Wakefield, Leeds and Barnsley — the latter ending more than 50 years of Labour rule — and First Minister Eluned Morgan's Senedd seat in Wales, where Ken Skates has taken over as interim leader.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed former prime minister Gordon Brown as envoy on global finance and former deputy leader Harriet Harman as adviser on women and girls, in a move to shore up support after Labour suffered historic losses in local and regional elections. Labour lost more than 1,400 council seats in England and fell to third place in the Welsh Senedd, its worst result in Wales in a century. Several Labour MPs have called on Starmer to set a timetable for his departure, though he has rejected resignation demands.

Reform UK has secured more than 1,400 council seats across England, swept Essex County Council, and finished second in the Welsh Parliament elections behind Plaid Cymru. The party also tied with Labour for second place in Scotland with 17 MSPs each. Home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said the party would "welcome scrutiny" and not take voters for granted.

More than 200,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats since records began in 2018, the Home Office confirmed on Friday after 70 people arrived on one boat. The milestone comes as successive UK governments have failed to stem the flow, with annual crossings more than doubling in the last three years. At least eight migrants have died attempting the crossing this year, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration and French authorities.

The United Kingdom is deploying the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon to the Middle East to pre-position for a potential multinational mission to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The mission, jointly led by the UK and France, is described as strictly defensive and will only commence after hostilities in the region end. The deployment follows heightened tensions after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran's closure of the strait, and a fragile ceasefire mediated by Pakistan. HMS Dragon was previously stationed in the eastern Mediterranean defending British bases on Cyprus.

Reform UK won control of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council in South Yorkshire, ending 50 years of Labour dominance. Voters cited a desire for change, feeling abandoned by Labour, and dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The result highlights Labour's declining support in its traditional heartlands.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth is set to become Wales' first Plaid Cymru first minister after a highly successful Welsh Parliament election, ending a century of Labour dominance. Ap Iorwerth, a former BBC journalist, took over a party in disarray in 2023 and campaigned on Labour's failure to stand up for Wales. His party's success was bolstered by a strategy to pull Labour voters away from Reform UK. The result marks a major shift in Welsh politics.

SNP leader John Swinney has ruled out negotiations with Reform UK as his party seeks to form a government after winning a fifth consecutive Holyrood election but falling seven seats short of a majority. Swinney will invite leaders of all other Holyrood parties for talks except Reform, citing the need to 'Farage-proof' the Scottish Parliament. Reform's leader in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, accused Swinney of being 'arrogant, petty and deeply undemocratic'. The SNP's vote share fell significantly compared to 2021, and the combined pro-independence vote was just over 40%.