Rishi Sunak has said he will not change course despite the hammering the Conservative Party received at the local elections last week.
With results now in from all 230 councils in England, the Conservatives lost 957 seats. Labour gained 643, the Lib Dems gained 415 and Green Party gained 200.
Overall, the Tories lost control of 48 councils, with Labour gaining control of 22, the Lib Dems 12 and Greens one.
The results suggest Labour is on course to either win a majority at the next election or at least be the largest party in a hung parliament.
Some Tories have demanded Sunak act quickly to avoid the looming defeat.
Justin Tomlinson, the MP North Swindon where the council swung to Labour, said the results must be a “wake up call at all levels”.
“The results were devastating. I mean, it’s frankly an insane thing for anybody to try and spin otherwise,” he told Times Radio this morning.
But speaking to broadcasters in Southampton, the prime minister said he would stick to his five “priorities” despite the “obviously disappointing” results.
“I have set out five very clear priorities – to halve inflation, to grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats,” he said.
“What I can tell people is we are working day and night to make their lives better.”
Keir Starmer told his shadow cabinet today the “hardest part lies ahead”, in a warning not to be complacent about Labour’s fortunes.
“The fact that Labour won in all parts of the country was a sign of the strides we have made. People who turned away from us during the Corbyn years and the Brexit years are coming back,” he said.
“But there is understandably a lot of scepticism about politics out there and now we need to go from reassurance to hope. We need to show that we will be a big reforming government bringing hope of a better life for working people.”
The Labour leader also spoke to the 22 new Labour council leaders today, with the local Labour politicians set to pledge to deliver emergency cost of living action plans within 100 days of taking control.