Sir Keir Starmer insisted he would remain Labour leader after the party suffered heavy losses in local elections. Speaking from his London home, he said: "I hear the message. But I am not walking away."

The results were brutal. Labour lost control of councils in Hartlepool, Sunderland, and Nuneaton. The party’s vote share dropped 8 points in key battlegrounds. Conservative candidates swept through traditional Labour strongholds.

Starmer’s team point to gains in the South. They say they won seats in Tunbridge Wells and Westminster. But the numbers tell a different story. Labour is below 30% in national polls. The Conservatives hold a double-digit lead.

One shadow cabinet member told me: "Keir is safe for now. But the mood is grim. MPs are jittery." Another source said: "The leader’s office is already blaming everything on COVID and the vaccine bounce."

Inside Labour HQ, staff are exhausted. There is frustration that Starmer failed to land a blow on Boris Johnson over Partygate. The party’s messaging on the cost of living crisis has been muddled. Starmer’s approval ratings have fallen.

At a private meeting with MPs this week, Starmer said he would "take responsibility" but demanded loyalty. One MP told me: "We want a fight. But we need a plan."

Starmer allies argue that local elections are always difficult for opposition parties. They note that Labour is doing better in the polls than in 2019. But critics say that is a low bar.

The question is whether Starmer can recover. He needs to win back voters who have drifted to the Conservatives or the Lib Dems. Some of those voters are Brexiteers. Others are Remainers now disillusioned.

There is also the shadow of Jeremy Corbyn. The former leader’s supporters blame Starmer for the party’s slump. They say he has abandoned socialist policies. Starmer’s team dismiss this as "fantasy politics."

For now, Starmer remains in charge. But the next few months will be crucial. He faces a test at the party conference in September. If the polls do not improve, the knives could come out.

One senior Labour figure said: "He has until the autumn. If we’re still in the doldrums, there will be a move." Another MP said: "The PLP is restless. We can’t afford another defeat."

Starmer knows the stakes. In his speech, he promised a new focus on "bread and butter issues." He talked about jobs, housing, and the NHS. But voters have heard that before.

The Conservatives are not invulnerable. Johnson’s personal ratings are sliding. The cost of living crisis is hurting families. Starmer’s team hope the economic headwinds will turn in their favour.

But time is running out. The next general election is due in 2024. Labour needs a 10-point swing to win a majority. That looks a long way off.

Starmer has survived this week. But the wounds are deep. He must now convince his party and the country that he can lead them to victory. If he fails, Labour’s search for a new leader will begin.