Devendra Kumar
Rishi Sunak acknowledged the “disappointing” series of local election results, as the Conservatives suffered defeats across the UK. Despite this, he insisted he was “focused completely on the job at hand” and that Labour had not done enough to be on track to win the general election. The results come as Sir Keir Starmer hailed a “seismic win” for Labour in the Blackpool South by-election, where the party secured a 26.33 per cent swing.
The Conservatives retained the Tees Valley mayoralty, with Lord Ben Houchen being re-elected, but Labour gained three authorities and 62 councillors. Experts warn the Conservatives could be on course to lose 500 seats in what could be their worst showing in 40 years. Labour’s Chris Webb won the Blackpool South parliamentary seat with the third biggest swing from the Conservatives to Labour at a by-election since the Second World War.
Touring the broadcast studios, Tory Party chairman Richard Holden said it had been a “tough night”, but insisted that “when we’re facing those tough challenges we’ve got the right man for the job”. However, Professor Sir John Curtice, an elections expert, said the Tories could be on course to lose 500 councillors in “one of the worst, if not the worst” performances by the party in 40 years.
The results show a strong performance from Labour, with the party gaining council seats in key areas such as Hartlepool and Redditch. The Greens and Liberal Democrats also made gains, while independents and residents’ groups saw increases in councillor numbers. Labour gained police and crime commissioners from the Conservatives in Cumbria and Avon and Somerset.
Sir Keir Starmer said the results were a “shout from Blackpool” for change, adding that the country has “had enough” of 14 years of Conservative rule. He believes the results are a sign that the country is moving towards a more positive and forward-looking Labour government. Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Richard Tice claimed his party had “rapidly become the real opposition to Labour, whether it’s in the North, the Midlands, or Wales”.
In Sunderland, Reform UK beat the Conservatives into third place in 16 of the 25 seats up for grabs, while Labour made a net gain of six to increase its comfortable majority. The results will likely add to Tory unease about Rishi Sunak’s ability to lead the party to a general election victory, with some already speculating about a potential leadership challenge.