Keir Starmer to make first public appearance since cancelling elections U-turn as PM rushes to key Reform battleground

However, Sir Keir’s decision to reinstate thirty English council polls, originally delayed to assist local authorities with a major reorganisation programme, came after Reform UK mounted a legal challenge.

Legal advice prompted the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to abandon the postponement on Monday.

The reversal marks what is widely considered Sir Keir’s 15th significant policy U-turn since the Prime Minister entered Downing Street nineteen months ago.

Despite Baroness Morgan stopping short of joining Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s one-man cabal against Sir Keir, the Prime Minister is under pressure to deliver change for Wales.

During his Welsh visit today, Sir Keir will announce plans for seven new railway stations as part of a joint initiative between Westminster and Cardiff Bay.

The proposed stations include Magor and Undy, Llanwern, Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Cardiff Parkway and Deeside Industrial Park.

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“This Government is turning the page on historic dither and delay with seven new stations, thousands of jobs, and a generational commitment to build a rail network fit for Wales’s future,” Sir Keir said ahead of his visit.

The Prime Minister described the investment as more than superficial measures, stating: “This isn’t tinkering nor sticking plasters.”

He added: “This is investment for the long term and change communities will feel. This is putting Wales on the front foot and getting Britain building again.”

However, the polling outlook for Labour in Wales paints a bleak picture ahead of the Senedd election.

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YouGov research from last month revealed that 37 per cent of Welsh voters intended to support Plaid Cymru, with Reform UK securing 23 per cent and Labour languishing on just 10 per cent.

Meanwhile, More in Common found Reform UK is leading the race on 31 per cent, with Plaid Cymru on 24 per cent and Labour down to just 20 per cent.

The figures represent a dramatic collapse in Wales’s red heartland, where Labour has been the largest party since 1918.

Sir Keir has already faced calls to step down from Mr Sarwar, who said “too many mistakes” had been made in Downing Street as he prepares to lead his party into the crunch Scottish Parliament Election on May 7.

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There had been speculation that Baroness Morgan would join Mr Sarwar’s call for Sir Keir to resign.

However, the Welsh First Minister later opted to throw her weight behind the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declared victory following the Government’s climbdown on the election postponement.

The Labour Government agreed to cover Reform UK’s legal expenses incurred during the challenge against the original decision to delay the polls.

An MHCLG spokesman confirmed the reinstatement followed legal advice, adding: “Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing and all local elections will now go ahead in May 2026.”

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Local Government Secretary Steve Reed, who is being urged to resign by Mr Farage, acknowledged councils undergoing reorganisation had raised legitimate concerns about the pressures they faced.

He announced up to £63million in capacity funding for the 21 areas involved in the reorganisation programme, supplementing £7.6million already allocated for developing proposals last year.

Council leaders have sharply criticised the Government’s handling of the situation.

Norfolk County Council’s Conservative leader Kay Mason Billig delivered a particularly scathing assessment, describing the past months as “awful” and claiming a decade of devolution work was “potentially down the pan because of this incompetent Government”.