LONDON – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that while Britain's local election results were "very tough," he would not be "walking away."

The prime minister's remarks came amid mounting pressure for him to resign following his party's disastrous local election results. Labour lost almost 1,500 council seats in England and surrendered control of around 40 local councils, including several traditional strongholds.

"The election results last week were tough. Very tough," he said. "That hurts. And it should hurt."

Admitting that he took responsibility for the result, Starmer said he also "take responsibility for not walking away, not plunging our country into chaos."

READ MORE: Labour loses ground as Reform UK surges in British local elections

Starmer said his government "made mistakes," but also "got the big political choices right," including distancing itself from the war with Iran, investing in public services and stabilizing the economy.

"In terms of the policy challenges that our country faces, incremental change won't cut it," he said, before promising to roll out further changes, including "putting Britain at the heart of Europe" by rebuilding the relationship and furthering investment in education.

Asked whether he would "fight" potential challengers within his party over his leadership, he replied "Yes," reaffirming: "I'm not gonna walk away."

More than 30 Labour members of parliament are calling on Starmer to resign or plan for his resignation, according to British media.  

Catherine West, a Labour MP, is currently gathering support to pressure Starmer to set a timetable for Labour's leadership change, according to Sky News.