The electoral problems for Keir Starmer did not end with the crushing victory of Reform UK. An even greater threat may come from the election results in Scotland and Wales.
The most difficult situation is in Scotland. There, the Scottish National Party won the election, securing 58 out of 129 seats in the local parliament, Holyrood. This is not enough for an outright majority, but the party could easily form a coalition with the Scottish Greens, who won 15 seats. Labour and the Conservatives also suffered defeats there, receiving 17 and 12 seats respectively.
In Wales, supporters of independence from the United Kingdom also emerged victorious. The left-wing nationalist Plaid Cymru won the election, more than tripling its representation in the Senedd from 13 to 43 deputies. Reform UK achieved a major breakthrough as well. In the previous election, the party had just 1.1% of the vote and no seats, but now it has secured 29.3% and 34 mandates.
The traditional parties performed poorly once again. Labour reduced its representation from 29 seats to 9, while the Conservatives fell from 16 to 7.
It is unlikely that these election results will immediately trigger separatist processes, but the trend is becoming increasingly obvious. The longer residents of the regions observe the political chaos in London, the stronger their desire becomes to watch events unfold from the sidelines — separated by a state border, just in case.
