{"url":"https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8","title":"US eyes Labour's local election downfall","domain":"gbnews.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/7103088/pexels-photo-7103088.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"UK local election","category":"Politics","language":"en","slug":"281e4af1","id":"281e4af1-906d-4ac2-840a-94312e9cd16d","description":"Local Elections Loom: US columnist Lee Cohen argues Americans anticipate major Labour losses in England's 7 May local elections after 21 months of perceive","summary":"## TL;DR\n- **Local Elections Loom:** US columnist Lee Cohen argues Americans anticipate major Labour losses in England's 7 May local elections after 21 months of perceived failures.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n- **Starmer's Approval Plummets:** Keir Starmer's net approval rating stands at minus 48, with his government's at minus 47, amid projections of Reform UK gains in thousands of seats.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n- **Transatlantic Ties Strain:** Labour's economic and migration policies, including net migration of 204,000 to June 2025, weaken Britain's role in the US-UK special relationship, per Cohen.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\n## The story at a glance\nUS columnist Lee Cohen writes in GB News that Americans view the 7 May local elections across 136 English councils and over 5,000 seats as a chance for voters to reject Keir Starmer's Labour government after 21 months in power. He criticises Labour's handling of migration, economy, and public services, claiming it diminishes Britain's strength in the transatlantic alliance. The piece appears now, 17 days before the vote, to rally support for Reform UK gains that could signal Labour's weakening mandate.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\n## Key points\n- Elections on 7 May cover 136 councils and more than 5,000 seats, serving as the first national verdict on Labour's rule since summer 2024.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n- Starmer's net approval is minus 48; government's is minus 47, with polls forecasting unprecedented Labour losses and Reform UK netting thousands of seats, possibly controlling multiple councils.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n- Net migration to June 2025 hit 204,000; small-boat crossings and asylum backlogs continue, pressuring housing, schools, and NHS without structural fixes.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n- Economic woes include taxation hikes, stagnant real wages, weak growth, declining local services, and welfare reliance in ex-industrial areas.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n- Cohen argues Labour's decline harms the US-UK special relationship by limiting Britain's defence spending, industrial base, and alliance credibility amid demographic strains.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n- Reform UK, with national polling over 27%, could take council control from Labour strongholds, reflecting voter shift to structural change.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\n## Details and context\nCohen, presenting as an American backer of a strong Britain, frames Labour's pledges of stability as unmet amid ongoing migration pressures and service strains inherited but not overhauled.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8) He contrasts this with post-war Britain's recovery, which sustained its role as America's key European partner in NATO despite hardship; today's policies, he claims, produce a weaker UK unable to share alliance burdens fully.\n\nThe opinion distinguishes Labour's managerial tweaks from voter-experienced realities like diluted borders and squeezed finances, tying these to reduced global influence. Reform UK's rise from near-zero council seats in 2022 to projected hundreds of gains underscores public disillusionment beyond protest voting.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\nLocal results won't topple the government but could erode Starmer's authority, acting as a mid-term check on policies seen as prioritising continuity over reform.\n\n## Key quotes\n- \"The curtain descends through the aggregate weight of ballots cast in resolve.\"[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8) – Lee Cohen, concluding the piece on voter power in the elections.\n\n## Why it matters\nLabour's projected drubbing in local elections highlights deepening public discontent with its governance, potentially reshaping UK politics and transatlantic dynamics as argued by Cohen. For British voters and allies like the US, it signals risks to economic recovery, border control, and defence commitments if trends continue. Watch 7 May results for Reform UK council wins and Labour seat losses, though national change would need a general election.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\n## What changed\nLabour entered office in 2024 promising stability, competence, and renewal free of ideology. Now, after 21 months, approval ratings have fallen steadily to minus 47-48 since summer 2024, with persistent migration at 204,000 net to June 2025, stagnant wages, and service declines replacing hoped-for improvements. This shift unfolded over the government's term, culminating in pre-election polling.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\n## FAQ\nQ: What scale are the 7 May local elections?\nA: They span 136 English councils and more than 5,000 seats, providing the first full national test of Labour after 21 months. Polls predict Labour losses not seen recently, with Reform UK gaining thousands of seats and possibly councils. Cohen sees this as a mandate check on the government.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\nQ: How has Labour handled migration?\nA: Net migration to June 2025 was 204,000, down from peaks but still straining housing, schools, and NHS. Small-boat arrivals and asylum backlogs remain high despite marginal changes, not structural reform. Voters note the gap between control promises and daily realities.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\nQ: Why does Cohen link Labour to the US-UK relationship?\nA: He claims economic weakness and demographic pressures under Labour limit Britain's defence output, industrial strength, and NATO role. A declining UK becomes less vital to America, unlike post-war recoveries that anchored the alliance. Policies prioritise management over restoring sovereignty.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\nQ: What role does Reform UK play?\nA: From few seats in 2022, it eyes control of counties and units, stripping hundreds from Labour areas, with polls over 27%. Cohen views this as voters demanding accountability beyond establishment options. It reflects shifts in Red Wall and rural areas.[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[[1]](https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8)","hashtags":["#uk","#politics","#labour","#reformuk","#local","#elections"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.gbnews.com/opinion/america-is-preparing-for-the-curtains-to-fall-on-labour-s-reign-of-terror-in-just-17-days-lee-cohen#359327sdydueqb50gn2yqgengnfv8iy8","title":"Original article"}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-20T22:09:16.783Z","createdAt":"2026-04-20T22:09:16.783Z","articlePublishedAt":"2026-04-20T10:36:23.000Z"}