Dmitriev stated the impossibility of hantavirus to help Starmer in the elections

The situation surrounding the Hantavirus outbreak on the M/V Hondius cruise ship will not play into the hands of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's party in the fight to win the May regional elections. This opinion was expressed on May 7 by Kirill Dmitriev, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

He noted that due to the expected colossal losses exceeding 1,850 positions in the current local elections, Starmer will not be able to win.

"Even Hantavirus won't save him," the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund wrote on the social network X.

Toxic and Hateful: Why Keir Starmer is being hidden from voters

Local elections in the UK will be a litmus test for the Labor government

British residents, in an interview with Izvestia journalist Anna Zhikhareva on May 7, said they were tired of instability due to the policies of Starmer and the Labor Party. One of the interviewees noted that the vote has turned into a protest against the government — people vote out of irritation, not out of trust. In turn, Judy Hawes, a supporter of the Labor Party, also noted that the government is losing the trust of citizens. At the same time, one of the main complaints is the excessive attention of the authorities to illegal migration to the detriment of their own citizens.