Sterling rose against both the Euro and the US Dollar on Friday after early UK local election results largely confirmed expectations of substantial losses for the Labour Party, prompting investors to focus on the political outlook for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The Labour Party lost significant support in areas that reported results overnight, with counting still ongoing on Friday.

At the same time, financial markets continued to keep a close watch on developments in the Middle East.

By Friday morning, the Pound had risen 0.21% to $1.3578 and was broadly unchanged against the Euro, which traded at 86.47 pence, Reuters reports.

The US Dollar index edged lower against most major currencies, as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran unsettled markets. Despite the tensions, President Donald Trump told reporters that the ceasefire remained in effect.

In the UK local elections, analysts said on Thursday that a weak performance by the Labour Party had been expected, although it remained uncertain whether the results would trigger an immediate leadership challenge to the PM.

There have already been calls for Starmer to establish a clear timetable for stepping down from office. From a market perspective, any potential successor would likely come from a more left-leaning faction, which could be viewed as more fiscally expansionary and therefore less favourable for fiscal discipline.

UK government bonds edged higher, with 10-year gilt yields falling by 2.5 basis points to 4.92%.

Meanwhile, some Labour lawmakers have warned that if the party fails to retain a large share of the around 2,500 council seats it is defending in England, Starmer could come under renewed pressure to resign or, at minimum, outline a timeline for his eventual departure.

However, British defence minister John Healey said that the Prime Minister still has the ability to recover his position, when asked whether Starmer should set a timetable for his departure.