British Prime Minister Keir Starmer swept to power two years ago, winning a landslide election victory with a promise to bring change. In his victory speech, the Labour Party leader pledged to forge national renewal, rebuild the country and “relight the fire”, after 14 turbulent years of Conservative rule. Change, he said, “begins now”.

Last week’s local and regional election results demonstrated in stark terms that he was right about one thing: change is coming. But the transformation of British politics unfolding is not what Starmer planned.

The outcome of the polls, which saw new regional parliaments formed in Scotland and Wales, along with local elections in England, were a catastrophe for the government. That was no surprise. It is deeply unpopular.

Now, Starmer is fighting for his own survival amid calls from more than 30 Labour MPs for him to set a timetable for stepping down. The prime minister vowed to see out his five-year term. “The voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives improved. I was elected to meet those challenges. I am not going to walk away now and plunge the country into chaos,” he said. Cabinet ministers, at least publicly, appear to be standing by him – for now.

But a dramatic change in British politics is under way, as frustrated voters continue to shun the two major parties – the Labour government and Conservative opposition – in favour of upstart challengers to the status quo. A new era of multiparty politics appears to have dawned.

The biggest threat to the long-established order comes from Reform UK, the right-wing champion of anti-immigration policies led by the charismatic Trump-like figure Nigel Farage. He revelled in the gains made by Reform UK, hailing “a truly historic shift”. But the surge in support for the party in recent years is not the only problem faced by Labour. It is also losing left-wing voters to the Green Party, with its promise to tax the rich.