The Intelligence from The Economist Keir hunters: will Britain’s PM go?
34 snips
May 11, 2026 
Simon Wright, industries editor who tracks energy and aviation, and Owen Winter, political correspondent covering British politics, discuss Britain’s local-election shock and Keir Starmer’s survival. They also unpack soaring jet-fuel costs and which airlines and regions face the sharpest pain. Short, sharp and wide-ranging political and market drama.
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Smaller Parties Reaped Big Gains
- Reform UK and the Green Party were the main beneficiaries of the local elections, with Reform polling around 26–27% nationally and Greens winning inner-London mayoralties.
- Owen Winter notes Reform won seats where the Brexit Party/UKIP never had representation and Greens seized areas like Hackney and Lewisham.
Watch Westminster Tea Rooms For Leadership Signals
- Expect swift movement once Labour MPs decide to act; internal plotting in Westminster can accelerate into a leadership contest within days.
- Owen Winter advises watching tea rooms and bars when MPs return as signs of backstabbing and campaign planning.
Strait Disruption Removed Significant Jet Fuel Supply
- The Iran conflict removed roughly 15% of global jet-fuel supply by disrupting flows through the Straits of Hormuz and Asian refining of that crude.
- Simon Wright cites 360,000 barrels/day via the Straits plus ~800,000 barrels/day shortfall from Asian refiners as drivers of the spike.