Rishi Sunak suffered a terrible first day of council election results with the prime minister now nervously waiting on the result from the West Midlands and London mayoral contests.
In the early hours of Friday, Labour won the Blackpool South by-election from the Conservatives with a record 26 per cent swing, while a series of police and crime commissioner posts held by the Tories fell into Labour hands.
Of the 107 councils that held elections on Thursday, 102 had declared their full results on Friday night with the Conservatives losing more than 400 councillors, as the party lost control of 10 councils.
In the capital, all eyes are on Sadiq Khan who is running an “extremely close” race with Tory candidate Susan Hall. While a win for Tory Andy Street as mayor in the West Midlands could help stop a leadership plot from rebel MPs.
State of play as of 8:10am
Total no of councils - Lab 48 +8 | Lib Dem: 12 + 2| Con: 5 -10 | Ind & Others: 1 | Greens: 0 | NOC: 36 (-1)
Councillors - Lab 1,026 (+173) | Lib Dem: 505 (+101) | Con: 479 (-448) | Ind & Others: 224 +92 | Green: 159 (+65)
Key Points
Rishi Sunak remains optimistic despite ‘disappointing’ local elections forTories
Full list of declared councils and mayoral contests
Labour would have 9% lead at general election - but fall short of majority
Starmer’s party wins mayoral contest in Sunak’s backyard
Tory mayor snubs Sunak in victory speech
Starmer confident Sadiq Khan will take home London mayor victory
11:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Sir Keir Starmer said he remains confident Sadiq Khan can win a third term as the Labour mayor of London.
Speaking to reporters in Mansfield, the Labour leader said: “Sadiq Khan was absolutely the right candidate. He has got two terms of delivery behind him and I am confident that he has got another term of delivery in front of him.
“But look, if you look across the country, I am standing here in Mansfield in the East Midlands where we have won a significant victory in the mayoralty here, but that is the pattern across the country.
“We have been winning in Blackpool in a by-election with a 26% swing, we have won in York and North Yorkshire, true blue Tory territory, and here in the East Midlands where there are very many constituencies that matter hugely in that general election.
“All of this is done with a purpose. I want a Labour Government to serve our country.
“This is effectively the last stop on the journey to the general election and I am really pleased to be able to show we are making progress, we have earned the trust and confidence of voters and we are making progress towards that general election.”
Boris Johnson tried to use Prospect magazine as voter ID at polling station
11:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Boris Johnson has said he tried to use a magazine about politics as voter ID when he turned up to the polls this week.
Mr Johnson had been trying to cast his vote in the local elections in South Oxfordshire on Thursday but fell foul of legislation he introduced himself as prime minister.
Staff initially turned the former Conservative Party leader away because he could not produce proper voter ID.
Boris Johnson tried to use Prospect magazine as voter ID at polling station
Labour will ‘turn the page on decline’- Starmer
11:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Sir Keir Starmer said his party with “turn the page on decline” as he set out his stall for the general election.
The Labour leader said: “It now is upon us to deliver that change to each of those people that put their faith in us in the vote here in the East Midlands and we will do so with a positive case for the country.”
He listed Labour’s plans to “pick up the NHS”, make sure the streets are safe, build affordable homes, and provide secure jobs.
Sir Keir said: “That falls to us, because today is the day that we celebrate the beginning of the turning of the page, one of the last milestones now as we go into that general election.”
He added: “Let’s turn the page on decline and usher in national renewal with Labour.”
In pictures: Starmer with newly elected East Midlands mayor Claire Ward
11:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Labour celebrates mayoral victory in East Midlands as Starmer says Tories no longer deserve to be in power
10:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Conservatives no longer deserve to be in power, Sir Keir Starmer said, as he celebrated a Labour mayoral victory in the East Midlands.
Speaking in Mansfield alongside the new Labour mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward, Labour leader Sir Keir said: “I think the message here is very, very clear, and I think across the East Midlands there has been a sending of that message to the Government, which is we are fed up with your division, with your chaos, with your failure.
“Fourteen years, and I am sorry, I don’t care which political party you support, if you leave your country in a worse state then when you found it 14 years later you do not deserve to be in Government for a moment longer.”
Rishi Sunak on the rack as losses point to general election wipeout
10:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Rishi Sunak is nervously awaiting the result of the West Midlands mayoral contest after suffering a series of humiliating setbacks in the local elections.
With the worst local election results for the Tories in 40 years, the prime minister’s fate could be tied to whether Tory mayor Andy Street holds on when the votes are counted on Saturday.
Tory rebels have reportedly called off the dogs for now as Teesside mayor Ben Houchen kept his seat despite a huge narrowing of the polls.
Rishi Sunak on the rack as losses point to general election wipeout
Voter turnout at 2024 London Mayoral Election
10:15 , Jabed Ahmed
Here is the voter turnout at each London constituency in the 2024 Mayoral Election:
Labour campaign chief admits Gaza war ‘a factor’ that cost party seats
09:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Despite being on course to inflict losses of 500 seats on the Conservatives, Labour’s stance over Israel’s war in Gaza appears to be costing Sir Keir Starmer’s party in the local elections, according to his election chief.
Labour campaign chief admits Gaza war ‘a factor’ that cost party seats
Voter turnout higher in Conservative voting London areas than Labour constituencies
09:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Voter turnout at the 2024 London Mayoral Election was higher in Conservative voting areas than Labour constituencies.
The overall voter turnout this year was 40.5% – down 1.5% from the turnout in 2021. In areas where the Tories have previously won, the turnout is up 6,500 votes.
In areas where the Labour party has won, the turnout is down some 42,000 votes.
A small swing is required for Sadiq Khan to lose.
The local elections are a triumph for Keir Starmer’s embrace of Blairism
08:52 , Holly Evans
The Conservatives have done about as badly in the local elections as you would expect, given that they are 20 points behind Labour in the national opinion polls.
Ben Houchen’s win as mayor of Tees Valley is notable not because the Tories are doing better than expected, but because his personal popularity is sufficient to withstand the national anti-Tory tide.
So let us give Keir Starmer the credit that is due for what are, overall, very good results for Labour. The Labour leader has been a lucky general, but we ought to recognise his skill in maximising his good fortune.
Read the full article from John Rentoul here:
The local elections are a triumph for Keir Starmer’s embrace of Blairism
Sunak has ‘very little to show’ after local election defeats
08:37 , Holly Evans
Local election results so far demonstrate Rishi Sunak has “very little to show” for his efforts to recover the Conservative brand following Liz Truss’s premiership, Sir John Curtice said.
The election expert told the BBC: “There is nothing in these results to suggest contrary to the opinion polls that the Conservatives are actually beginning to narrow the gap on Labour, and that so far at least, Rishi Sunak’s project which has tried to recover from the disaster – from the Conservatives’ point of view – of the Liz Truss fiscal event, that project has still got very little to show for it.
“That in a sense is the big takeaway.
“Now the Conservatives, as when all parties do badly in elections, they always want you to focus on the exception rather than the rule, and Tees Valley and probably the West Midlands are the exceptions not the rule.”
Why is Rishi shying away from a battle with Big Tech?
08:23 , Holly Evans
It was a defining moment of Rishi Sunak’s reign when he sat, being filmed, interviewing Elon Musk.
Eyebrows were raised. This was the prime minister, elected leader of the country, displaying fawning admiration for a US businessman. Of course, Musk was the world’s richest man at the time, in November 2023, and the tech multibillionaire was in the vanguard of global innovation. But even so, would others in Sunak’s position have behaved in the same way?
The interview appeared to confirm what was suspected, that Sunak is engaged in a long-standing love affair with Big Tech.
Read the full article here:
Why is Rishi shying away from a battle with Big Tech?
Whatever happened to the post-election Tory bloodbath?
08:09 , Holly Evans
For months, Rishi Sunak’s right-wing critics told us that the results of Thursday’s local elections would be so bad, they would trigger a coup against him. Although the results were at the upper end of the Conservatives’ private predictions, there is no coup yet.
It would take something dramatic to kickstart a serious revolt now – probably the resignation of a cabinet minister – and give the rebels the alternative leader they lack. There’s no sign of that.
It seems the hardline critics have repeated their Grand Old Duke of York act. They talk a good game, but then the great rebellion never materialises. This time it matters, because it was their last chance of ousting Sunak before the general election.
Read the full article from Andrew Grice here:
Whatever happened to the post-election Tory bloodbath?
Boris Johnson 'thanks' villagers for refusing to let him vote without ID
08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Boris Johnson has thanked three villagers who turned the former prime minister away from a polling station on Thursday for attempting to vote without a valid ID.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Mr Johnson said he attempted to use a copy of Prospect magazine as a form of identification, but was turned away by local electorate officials.
Mr Johnson wrote: “I want to pay a particular tribute to the three villagers who on Thursday rightly turned me away when I appeared in the polling station with nothing to prove my identity except the sleeve of my copy of Prospect magazine, on which my name and address had been printed.
“I showed it to them and they looked very dubious... within minutes I was back with my driving licence and voted Tory.”
The requirement to provide photo ID was introduced by Mr Johnson during his time in Downing Street as part of the Elections Act 2022.
Plot to topple Sunak called off despite dire election results
07:58 , Holly Evans
Conservative MPs considering a move to topple Mr Sunak were holding their counsel until all the results were in, as a rumoured plot to remove the prime minister appears to have died down.
Speaking to The Independent, one former cabinet minister said they “cannot comment until I know what has happened in the West Midlands and London”.
Dame Andrea Jenkyns, a Boris Johnson supporter, already has her letter in to 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady asking for a vote but said: “MPs are just too paralysed to do anything.”
However, another senior MP who has been involved with plotters said: “I think it is over. Rishi will lead us into the next election. The results were bad but no worse than already accounted for.”
What results to look out for today?
07:25 , Holly Evans
So far 102 of 107 councils in England have declared the results, with four due today and one tomorrow.
Results for Epping Forest, North Tyneside, Stroud, and Warrington will be announced before today evening.
The results of seven of the 11 mayoral contests (London, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, South Yorkshire and Salford) will also be declared today.
Of the results for the 37 police and crime commissioner elections across England and Wales, eight will be declared today and two will be announced tomorrow.
Fourteen London constituencies will also be announced, along with the London-wide top-up list that will elect another 11 assembly members.
ICYMI: Rishi Sunak on the rack as ‘seismic’ local election results threaten Tory wipeout
07:00 , Matt Mathers
Rishi Sunak’s position as leader of the Tories and Prime Minister is in the balance as voters delivered a damning verdict on his government in the crucial local elections yesterday.
With a general election just months away, Conservative MPs are privately discussing whether to force a vote of no confidence in their leader as the dire poll predictions appear to have been born out at the ballot box this week.
Full report:
Rishi Sunak on the rack as ‘seismic’ local election results threaten Tory wipeout
London Mayoral Election 2024: When will the winner be announced?
06:30 , Matt Mathers
Londoners went to the polls on Thursday, 2 May to elect a mayor and 25 London Assembly members.
Around six million people were registered to vote in this year’s election, which decides who will be in charge of the capital for the next four years.
The ballot boxes were moved from more than 3,600 polling stations across the capital, staffed by around 12,000 people, to 14 counting centres in the city overnight.
Full report:
When will the London Mayoral Election results be announced?
Local election results in full: Who has declared victory in council and mayoral ballots?
06:00 , Matt Mathers
Millions of voters cast their ballots on Thursday to choose their preferred choice of councils and mayors, with the first results starting to trickle through in the small hours of Friday.
Below is a full list of councils declared so far:
Local election results in full: Who has won the council and mayoral ballots?
For Tories reeling from local election disaster, denial is the first stage of grief
05:30 , Matt Mathers
Senior Conservatives are putting in their fingers in their ears and pretending that the dismal results simply don’t exist, writes Joe Murphy. But unfortunately for them, they do – and it won’t be long before reality comes knocking
Full report:
For the Tories, denial is only the first stage of grief
Catastrophic Tory election results show the writing is on the wall for Sunak
05:00 , Matt Mathers
As the prime minister himself dramatically put it the other day, they will need the biggest comeback in history to turn things around in the course of the next few months, writes Sean O’Grady
Full piece:
Catastrophic election results show writing is on the wall for Sunak | Sean O’Grady
Labour leader hails election victory as ‘historic’
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Keir Starmer hailed the Labour party’s victory in the York and North Yorkshire mayoral race yesterday as “truly historic”.
Labour won control of eight councils as it saw a net gain of 204 seats, while the Liberal Democrats gained 92 seats and the Greens 58.
Sir Keir said: “It is a historic victory – these are places where we would not have usually had a Labour Party success but we’ve been able to create that success and persuade people to vote for us.”
ICYMI: Former Conservative chair blasts ‘gutter politics’ of Tory London mayoral candidate Susan Hall
04:30 , Matt Mathers
A former Tory cabinet minister has accused the Conservative mayoral candidate for London of “gutter politics” following her controversial campaign.
Former Conservative party chair and peer Sayeeda Warsi criticised mayoral candidate Susan Hall, who has been acccused of divisive politics and Islamophobia.
Full report:
Former Conservative chair blasts ‘gutter politics’ of Tory London mayoral candidate
Sunak pushes Tories to keep hopes up
04:18 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Prime minister Rishi Sunak suggests there is still hope for the Tories despite already suffering bruising defeats in the final test of voters before a general election.
He wrote in the Telegraph newspaper: “Thursday’s results showed that voters are frustrated and wondering why they should vote. The fact Labour is not winning in places that they admit themselves they need for a majority, shows that Keir Starmer’s lack of plan and vision is hurting them.
“We Conservatives have everything to fight for - and we will because we are fighting for our values and our country’s future”.Mr Sunak pointed to his party’s recent commitment to hike defence spending, and measures to grasp migration as clear dividing lines with Labour.
The region, which covers Mr Sunak’s Richmond constituency, is somewhere Labour has historically struggled to compete in parliamentary elections.
Labour also won inaugural mayoral contests in the East Midlands and the North East, and gained nine police and crime commissioner posts from the Tories, including in Cumbria, Avon and Somerset, and Norfolk.
Sadiq Khan faces anxious wait amid claims Susan Hall ‘has won’ London Mayor contest
04:00 , Matt Mathers
Sadiq Khan faces an anxious wait to find out if he will be re-elected as London mayor amid fears about low turnout and anger over his flagship motoring policy and Labour’s stance on Gaza.
A Tory Westminster insider close to Susan Hall’s campaign has told The Independent that the contest is “extremely close” and Mr Khan’s rival “may have won” in what would be a stunning election shock.
Full report:
Sadiq Khan faces anxious wait amid claims Susan Hall ‘has won’ London Mayor contest
The local elections are a triumph for Keir Starmer’s embrace of Blairism
03:30 , Matt Mathers
In just three years, the Labour leader has driven his party from the trough of failure to the sunlit uplands of the centre ground, writes John Rentoul.
Full piece here:
The local elections are a triumph for Keir Starmer’s embrace of Blairism
Reform UK: Who is the party biting at Tory heels in local elections?
03:00 , Matt Mathers
Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are on course for one of their worst local elections defeats, with polling experts suggesting they are on track to lose some 500 council seats.
While Labour are benefiting most, the Tories have also been troubled by the ascendancy of Reform UK, which – with 17 per cent of the vote – were just 117 ballots away from snatching second place in South Blackpool, where Sir Keir Starmer’s party inflicted a crushing by-election defeat on the Tories.
Full report:
Reform UK: Who is the party biting at Tory heels in local elections?
What would happen if Susan Hall actually wins? Tory candidate for London mayor’s key policies
02:30 , Matt Mathers
Labour’s Sadiq Khan takes on Tory rival Susan Hall to win a third term as London mayor, with poll results prior to the actual vote unanimously suggesting he’d win comfortably.
But, nevertheless, as London waits for the count to begin on Saturday, several journalists at outlets including GB News and the Byline Times have reported anxieties within the Labour camp and, somewhat incredibly, confidence in Conservative HQ that the result will be tight enough for a historic upset.
Full report:
What would happen if Susan Hall actually became London mayor?
How scared should the Tories be of Reform UK?
02:00 , Matt Mathers
The local election results show that the impact of Reform UK on British politics is growing. Sean O’Grady looks at what its rise could mean for an already beleaguered Conservative Party.
Read the piece in full here:
How scared should the Tories be of Reform UK?
ICYMI: Tory mayor says he ‘forgot’ to wear blue rosette during local elections
01:30 , Matt Mathers
Tory mayor claims he ‘forgot’ to wear blue rosette during local elections
Will Tees Valley lifeline save Rishi Sunak from sinking?
01:00 , Matt Mathers
Ben Houchen’s victory in the Tees Valley mayoral election provides an almost solitary ray of Tory hope after “seismic” election losses for the party, writes David Maddox.
With hundreds of Conservative councillors losing their seats, failure to win the North Yorkshire mayoralty in Rishi Sunak’s own backyard and the biggest-ever swing against them in a by-election in Blackpool South, things look pretty bleak for the prime minister.
Read the piece in full here:
Will Tees Valley lifeline save Rishi Sunak from sinking?
Watch: Labour candidate celebrates election victory on Sunak’s doorstep: ‘The message is clear’
Saturday 4 May 2024 00:30 , Matt Mathers
Labour candidate celebrates election victory on Sunak’s doorstep: ‘Message is clear’
ICYMI: Reform’s Lee Anderson clashes with Nick Robinson in fiery exchange over Nigel Farage
Saturday 4 May 2024 00:01 , Matt Mathers
Reform’s Lee Anderson clashes with Nick Robinson in fiery exchange over Nigel Farage
Rishi Sunak remains optimistic despite ‘disappointing’ local elections forTories
Friday 3 May 2024 23:01 , Matt Mathers
Rishi Sunak appeared to be optimistic despite the Conservatives suffering defeats across the country in Friday’s (3 May) local election results.
Experts have warned the Tories could lose 500 seats in what could be their worst numbers in 40 years.
Mr Sunak acknowledged defeats but was keen to highlight the fact his party had clung on in Harlow - though the party’s majority was cut from nine to a single seat there.
“[Sir] Keir Starmer held a rally just on Wednesday saying [Harlow] was a place that he had to win to be on track to win a general election.
“That hasn’t happened.”
Watch the clip here.
Lib Dems gain Dorset from Tories
Friday 3 May 2024 22:21 , Matt Mathers
The Liberal Democrats took Dorset from the Conservatives after gaining 15 seats.
The party now has 42 of the 82 seats on the council, with Conservatives on 30 after losing 13.
There are four independents, four Greens and two Labour councillors.
Dorset is the first Lib Dem council gain from the Conservatives of this election.
Gaza impact on Labour vote
Friday 3 May 2024 21:20 , Alex Ross
Labour MP Clive Betts said there was “no doubt at all about it” the party had lost votes as a result of its stance on Gaza.
The Sheffield South East MP added: “In my constituency people tell me that very clearly, and in one of the wards which was one of our safest wards, an independent candidate got elected fighting solely on the issue of Gaza, he didn’t fight on anything else, that was all his leaflets were about.
“So people voted on the basis that they were unhappy with Labour, and unhappy with our stance on Gaza.
“A lot of that was mistaken, on the belief that we hadn’t changed our position on Gaza from a few months ago, but once people take a view that we have got it wrong, it is very difficult to change their minds.”
For Tories reeling from local election disaster, denial is the first stage of grief
Friday 3 May 2024 21:15 , Matt Mathers
Senior Conservatives are putting in their fingers in their ears and pretending that the dismal results simply don’t exist, writes Joe Murphy. But unfortunately for them, they do – and it won’t be long before reality comes knocking.
Read Joe’s piece in full here:
For the Tories, denial is only the first stage of grief
What would happen if Susan Hall actually wins? Tory candidate for London mayor’s key policies
Friday 3 May 2024 21:00 , Matt Mathers
Labour’s Sadiq Khan takes on Tory rival Susan Hall to win a third term as London mayor, with poll results prior to the actual vote unanimously suggesting he’d win comfortably.
But, nevertheless, as London waits for the count to begin on Saturday, several journalists at outlets including GB News and the Byline Times have reported anxieties within the Labour camp and, somewhat incredibly, confidence in Conservative Camp Headquartrs that the result will be tight enough for a historic upset.
Full report:
What would happen if Susan Hall actually became London mayor?
Green Party success
Friday 3 May 2024 21:00 , Alex Ross
Big night for the Green Party in Bristol with the party gaining 10 seats and becoming the biggest party on the city council.
The party now has 34 of the 70 seats, gaining 10 more seats following Thursday night’s vote. The second biggest party with 21 seats, Labour, lost three, while the Tories lost half and now have just seven.
The one downside for the Greens was they didn’t actually take control.
However, party co-leader Carla Denyer, who is to stand for a new Bristol constituency at the next general election, was pleased with the result.
“Feeling so, so grateful for all the support voters have given us in Bristol and across the country,” she said.
Greens fail to take control of top target
Friday 3 May 2024 20:36 , Alex Ross
The Greens fell narrowly short of taking overall control of Bristol, one of their top targets, despite gaining 10 seats.
The party now has 34 of the 70, with Labour on 21 after losing two, Lib Dems on eight after gaining three and the Conservatives on seven after losing seven.
Tories lose control of Havant
Friday 3 May 2024 20:16 , Matt Mathers
The Conservatives have lost control of Havant in Hampshire.
The governing party dropped from 30 seats to 13, losing 17 councillors.
Nineteen seats are needed for a majority there but no party was able to manage it.
Tories lose control of bellwether Dudley
Friday 3 May 2024 20:12 , Matt Mathers
Conservatives lost control of Dudley in the West Midlands after Labour gained eight seats.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer made the council one of his top targets, but the party fell short of taking overall control by three seats.
Conservatives and Labour both have 34 seats on the new council, with three Lib Dem councillors and one independent holding the balance of power.
Dudley backed Brexit heavily in 2016 (68% to 32 %).
Labour gains Tamworth from no overall control
Friday 3 May 2024 19:40 , Matt Mathers
Labour has Tamworth from no overall control to add the council to the parliamentary by-election it won in October.
The party gained nine seats on the council with the Conservatives losing six, and Independents losing three.
The new council is Labour 18, Conservative eight and Independents four.
Labour took the parliamentary seat in October with a huge 23.9 swing from the Conservatives.
First black female PCC elected in England and Wales
Friday 3 May 2024 19:39 , Matt Mathers
The first black female police and crime commissioners have been elected in England and Wales.
Labour’s Emma Wools won the contest to become the new PCC for South Wales, while party colleague Nicolle Ndiweni was elected in Derbyshire.
Ms Wools replaces former Wales first minister Alun Michael, who did not seek re-election after 12 years in the role.
Ms Wools, who has been the unelected deputy PCC since 2017, received 73,128 votes, the Conservatives 43,344, Plaid Cymru 27,410 and the Liberal Democrats 17,908.
“I am honoured to have been elected by the people of South Wales,” Ms Wools said.
40.5% turnout for London mayor election
Friday 3 May 2024 19:25 , Matt Mathers
Voter turnout for the 2024 Mayor of London and London Assembly elections was 40.5 per cent, according to London Elects.
This was down 1.5 per cent on the turnout in 2021.
The Greater London Returning Officer will announce the result of the mayoral election at City Hall on Saturday once all the mayoral votes have been counted at the 14 constituencies.
Later on Saturday, the returning officer will announce the allocation of the 11 London-wide Assembly Member seats, following constituency results at individual count venues.
Starmer hails ‘historic victory’ in York and North Yorkshire mayoral election
Friday 3 May 2024 19:00 , Matt Mathers
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said David Skaith’s win at the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election was a “historic victory” for Labour in “the heart of Tory territory”.
Sir Keir said the win was “vindication” for the Labour Party and showed that “people are fed up with a failed government,” in comments at a victory rally at Northallerton Town Football Club in North Yorkshire.
“This is a historic victory, the villages and towns of North Yorkshire – this is the heart of Tory territory,” he said.
“We’ve had a positive campaign here and I am very, very proud to stand here as leader of the Labour Party to celebrate this historic victory and it is a historic victory – these are places where we would not have usually had a Labour Party success but we’ve been able to create that success and persuade people to vote for us.”
To the voters, he said: “Thank you for putting your trust in Labour, we will not let you down.”
It is a “very good day for Labour,” he said.
Big gains for Labour as it takes control of Cannock Chase
Friday 3 May 2024 18:50 , Matt Mathers
Labour has made more big gains in one of the councils where it hoped to make progress - Cannock Chase, Staffordshire.
The party now controls the council (there was no overall majority before today) after picking up 11 seats, bringing its total to 21.
The Conservatives lost 11 seats, the Greens gained one seat and the Lib Dems lost one seat.
The West Midlands Council backed Brexit heavily in 2016 (69 per cent to 31 per cent) and has been a bellwether since 1997.
Labour will ‘earn votes back in future’, Cooper says amid Gaza backlash
Friday 3 May 2024 18:40 , Matt Mathers
Labour will work to “earn votes back in future”, Yvette Cooper said, after conceding Labour had lost council seats because of the war in Gaza.
The shadow home secretary told BBC News: “We do strongly recognise there are areas where we have had independent candidates who have been particularly strongly campaigning on Gaza and where there is really strong feeling about this issue, because tens of thousands of people have been killed.
“It is just devastating to see what is happening, which is why we need an immediate ceasefire and for hostages to be released and why we hope some progress will be made in the negotiations.
“We do recognise the strength of feeling that there is and of course we will continue to work just as we do in every area across the country to earn votes back in future.”
Labour gains a whopping 15 seats to take control of Nuneaton & Bedworth
Friday 3 May 2024 18:19 , Matt Mathers
Labour won a whopping 15 seats to take control of Nuneaton & Bedworth in Warwickshire.
The Tories ended up with 16 seats - a loss of 14.
The result will please Labour strategists who said prior to the elections they wanted to target councils located in bellwether parliamentary seats.
Nuneaton, in the West Midlands, has chosenthe governing party at every election since 1997.
It overwhelmingly backed Brexit (66 to 34 per cent) and has an 87 per cent white population.
Watch: Tory mayor says he ‘forgot’ to wear blue rosette during local elections
Friday 3 May 2024 18:07 , Matt Mathers
Tory mayor claims he ‘forgot’ to wear blue rosette during local elections
Labour loses control of Kirklees
Friday 3 May 2024 17:56 , Matt Mathers
Labour has lost control of Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire.
The council is represented by a mixture of Labour and Tory MPs (2 each) and backed Brexit in the referendum (55% - 45%).
It also has a sizeable Muslim population at 18.5 per cent, according to the 2021 Census.
Labour has been facing a backlash from many in the Muslim community over its position on the war in Gaza.
'Make this Conservative government history’
Friday 3 May 2024 17:46 , Matt Mathers
In the Liberal Democrats’ latest election campaign stunt, Sir Ed Davey could be seen posing alongside people in inflatable dinosaur costumes as he appeared in Winchester.
The dinosaurs wore blue rosettes usually sported by Conservative candidates, and held up a banner reading “Make this Conservative Government history”
Labour lead over Tories 9% if results repeated at general election - BBC projection
Friday 3 May 2024 17:24 , Matt Mathers
Labour would have a 9 per cent lead over the Conservatives if today’s results were repeated at a general election, according to an estimate.
A vote share projection conducted by Professor Sir John Curtice’s team at the BBC had Labour on 39 per cent, with the Tories on 25 per cent - “an equal record low”.
The Lib Dems would have got 17 per cent and others 24 per cent.
Curtice said the result is similar to last year’s local election estimate, although the two main parties were down 1 per cent and the LD’s down 3 per cent.
Last year’s estimate also gave Labour a 9 per cent lead.
“The stability of the lead is consistent with the message of the polls that little has changed over the last 12 months in the size of Labour’s lead, other than that support for the Conservatives may have eased a little,” Curtice explained.
“The Lib Dems will be less than happy, having seemingly suffered a fall in their support on last year, although the 17 per cent figure is similar to what the party has been winning in the projected national share since the EU referendum in 2016.
“On the 24 per cent for others: The Greens account for as much as half of that total.”
A separate estimate for Sky News put Labour on 35 per cent with the Tories on 26 per cent. This means Labour would be the biggest party on 294 seats but fall short 32 seats short of a majority, the broadcaster said.
The Sky estimate said the Tories would fall from 372 seats to just 242, a projected loss of 130 seats. The Liberal Democrats rise from eight to 38 seats.
Tories lose control of Brexit-backing Basildon
Friday 3 May 2024 17:09 , Matt Mathers
The Conservatives have lost control of Basildon Council in Essex, which voted overwhelmingly for Brexit.
Labour won the most seats with 18, with the Tories in second on 13, although the council remains in no overall control.
Basildon voted 69 per cent for Leave in the Brexit referendum.
Labour’s Claire Ward has won the East Midlands mayoral election with a majority of over 50,000.
Friday 3 May 2024 16:52 , Matt Mathers
Labour’s Claire Ward has won the East Midlands mayoral election with a majority of over 50,000, Kate Devlin reports.
The result means she becomes the first elected mayor of the region, where the Tories picked up a number of ‘red wall’ seats in 2019,
She beat the Conservatives Ben Bradley in the race.
The area includes a number of key bellwether seats, including Bolsover and Bassetlaw.
Labour candidate celebrates election victory on Sunak’s doorstep: ‘The message is clear’
Friday 3 May 2024 16:45 , Matt Mathers
Labour candidate celebrates election victory on Sunak’s doorstep: ‘Message is clear’
Labour wins control of Milton Keynes
Friday 3 May 2024 16:34 , Matt Mathers
Labour won overall control of Milton Keynes for the first time since 2000 after gaining three seats.
The party now has 30 seats on the Buckinghamshire council, with Lib Dems on 18, after gaining two, and Conservatives on nine, after losing five.
Labour was previously running the council in alliance with the Lib Dems, in a city with two marginal parliamentary constituencies.
MoD apologises for missed deadlines and delays over Afghanistan Inquiry evidence
Friday 3 May 2024 16:16 , Matt Mathers
The Ministry of Defence has apologised to the independent inquiry set up by the government to investigate and report on alleged unlawful activity by United Kingdom Special Forces in Afghanistan for failing to provide evidence on time.
The apology, initially made in writing, was repeated at a hearing of the Afghanistan Inquiry on Friday specifically called by chairman Sir Charles Haddon-Cave to look at the MoD’s failures to meet deadlines and hear ways to turn the “troubling” situation around.
It came as bereaved families said they were “appalled and insulted to learn that the MoD’s conduct is seriously hindering the vital work of the inquiry”, said Tessa Gregory, partner at law firm Leigh Day.
“Our clients have been seeking to uncover the truth about the deaths of their loved ones for more than a decade,” she said.
“After years of the MoD seeking to keep its doors shut, our clients had hoped the establishment of this inquiry would mark a change in its approach. Instead, it continues to delay and remains, as it did during previous legal action, apparently unable or unwilling to meet deadlines to provide evidence.”
The MoD is now pursuing “multiple strategies” to repair the situation and a “significant and rapid increase in resourcing is required”, according to the letter from the Government Legal Department (GLD).
Watch: Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen offers no mention of Tories nor Sunak during victory speech
Friday 3 May 2024 15:29 , Matt Mathers
Houchen could ‘absolutely’ work with Starmer and ‘forgot’ blue Tory rosette
Friday 3 May 2024 15:11 , Matt Mathers
Ben Houchen said he could “absolutely” work with Sir Keir Starmer if the Labour leader becomes prime minister, but denied “trying to pretend” he was not Conservative during his mayoral election campaign.
The winning Tory candidate in the Tees Valley contest appeared to praise the opposition’s position on devolution, saying it would give him “more autonomy” after his victory on Friday.
But he said “people know round here I’m a Conservative” when asked about apparent efforts to distance himself from the Tory Party brand and instead run on a highly personal platform.
Lord Houchen was the only candidate on stage not to wear a party rosette at the Tees Valley count, saying later he “forgot”.
“I have done at previous elections and the honest answer is I didn’t have one and I forgot it. But I’ve got my blue socks on and my blue tie on,” he told Sky News.
“The idea that we are trying to pretend I’m not Conservative, I mean people know round here that I’m a Conservative, but thankfully what we’ve seen today is they also know that I’m a Teessider, and I’ll put Teesside first, I’ll put local people first and I’ll do what’s best for the local area.”
Lee Anderson clashes with Nick Robinson in fiery exchange over Nigel Farage standing for Reform
Friday 3 May 2024 14:57 , Matt Mathers
Reform’s Lee Anderson clashes with Nick Robinson in fiery exchange over Nigel Farage
Labour wins North East mayoral election
Friday 3 May 2024 14:39 , Alexander Butler
Labour’s Kim McGuinness won the new North East mayoral election with a majority of 58,399 over independent Jamie Driscoll.
She polled 185,051 votes (41.27 per cent), ahead of Mr Driscoll, the former Labour North of Tyne mayor, who was blocked from standing for the new post by the party, with 126,652 votes.
Conservative Guy Renner-Thompson was third on 52,446, with Reform UK on 41,147, the Lib Dems on 25,485 and the Greens on 17,631.
Labour wins in Sunak’s backyard
Friday 3 May 2024 14:32 , Alexander Butler
Labour has won in Rishi Sunak’s “backyard” of York and North Yorkshire in what is set to look like a humiliating defeat for the Conservative Party in this year’s local elections.
Labour mayor David Skaithe was elected as the region’s first leader with 35.1 per cent of the vote, compared with the Tory candidate’s 27.3 per cent.
Mr Sunak is the MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire. A Labour Party spokesperson said the prime minister’s own constituents had chosen Labour over the Tories.
“This is a truly historic result in York and North Yorkshire. Keir Starmer’s Labour party is now winning in Rishi Sunak’s backyard,” a Labour spokesperson told The Independent.
Rishi Sunak on the rack as ‘seismic’ local election results threaten Tory wipeout
Friday 3 May 2024 14:16 , Alexander Butler
Rishi Sunak on the rack as ‘seismic’ local election results threaten Tory wipeout
Sunak breaks silence as Tories set to lose hundreds of local councillors
Friday 3 May 2024 14:02 , Alexander Butler
Local elections: What impact could Gaza war have on the results?
Friday 3 May 2024 13:46 , Alexander Butler
What impact could Gaza war have on local elections in UK
Sunak congratulates Tory mayor
Friday 3 May 2024 13:20 , Alexander Butler
Rishi Sunak has congratulated re-elected Tory Mayor Ben Houchen despite the Tees Valley candidate not acknowledging him during his victory speech.
Mr Sunak welcomed his “friend” and claimed Tees Valley wanted the Tory party to stick to the “plan that’s working” in a post on X.
This is despite Mr Houchen avoiding any mention of his party or Rishi Sunak as he thanked voters for “backing my plan for the next four years”. He also claimed to have forgotten to wear a blue rosette during the speech.
Mr Sunak said on X: “Huge congratulations to my friend Ben Houchen. Tees Valley want us to stick with the plan that’s working: Jobs up. Airport saved.
“Steelmaking back. Darlington Economic Campus. Excited for Ben to keep delivering more jobs and opportunities for local people.”
Huge congratulations to my friend @BenHouchen.
Tees Valley want us to stick with the plan that's working:
Jobs up.
Airport saved.
Steelmaking back.
Darlington Economic Campus.Excited for Ben to keep delivering more jobs and opportunities for local people. https://t.co/Nx9c9EblTt
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 3, 2024
Defiant Rishi Sunak argues he can still win general election
Friday 3 May 2024 13:05 , Kate Devlin
A defiant Rishi Sunak has argued that he can still win the general election, despite predictions he is on course to lose a near ‘catastrophic’ number of council seats. He pointed to results in Harlow and the Tees Valley.
Asked whether he needed to convince his own party he could do better when it came to a general election, a defiant Mr Sunak said: “If Keir Starmer was in Harlow on Wednesday saying that that was a place he needed to win in order to win the next general election - that hasn’t happened.
“We still haven’t got results from places like Tees Valley with the mayoralty results, which again is a key battleground.”Just minutes later his party won the race for Tees Valley mayor.
Tory mayor ‘forgot’ to wear a blue rosette during victory speech
Friday 3 May 2024 12:57 , David Maddox
Ben Houchen has told Sky News that he “forgot” to wear a blue rosette when he went up to accept his victory in the Tees Valley mayoral race.
He said: “I was wearing a blue tie and blue socks”. Houchen held on over Labour’s Chris McEwan with 53.6 percent of the vote in the north east region around 20 points less than he got in 2021.
However, in his speech he avoided mention of his party or Rishi Sunak as he thanked voters for “backing my plan for the next four years”. Later on Sky News, he conceded that it had been “a shared effort”.
Breaking: Tory mayor Ben Houchen wins Tees Valley
Friday 3 May 2024 12:32 , Alexander Butler
Conservative mayor Ben Houchen has held on in the north east but the swing to Labour would see the parliamentary seats won by the Tories in 2019 fall to Labour, reports our political editor David Maddox.
Lord Houchen got 81,930 votes (53.6 percent) and his Labour rival Chris McEwan 63,141 (41,3 percent). Lord Houchen nevertheless saw a collapse in his vote which was 78.8 percent in 2021.
Speaking in North Yorkshire, Mr Sunak told Sky News that Tees Valley was “a key battleground in a general election” and victory shows that he can lead his party to victory.
But Mr Houchen made it clear he would work with whoever becomes prime minister including Sir Keir Starmer.
Lee Anderson insists Reform will win seats at general election after local results
Friday 3 May 2024 11:54 , Andy Gregory
Former Tory deputy party chair and now Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has insisted his party will win seats at a general election following success in the local elections on Thursday.
His new party narrowly lost out on second place during the Blackpool by-election by only 117 votes.
Mr Anderson - who defected in March - told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that his party’s vote is “going up and up and up” and “the Tory vote is going down and down and down”.
Our political correspondent Zoe Grunewald has the full report:
Lee Anderson insists Reform will win seats at general election after local results
Breaking: Labour concedes defeat in key Tees Valley mayoral contest
Friday 3 May 2024 11:46 , Andy Gregory
Labour has conceded defeat in the hotly contested Tees Valley mayor race with a result which could save Rishi Sunak from facing a vote of confidence.
A Labour source told The Independent: “We would have needed a 23 percent swing to defeat Ben Houchen but we are well on the way to the 12.5 percent we would need t win every constituency in the region. This is little comfort to Rishi Sunak.”
Our political editor David Maddox has more in this breaking report:
Labour concede in Tees Valley as Tory Ben Houchen holds on as mayor
Labour anxiety in key West Midlands mayoral election
Friday 3 May 2024 11:42 , Andy Gregory
Patrick Maguire of The Times reports a Labour source in Birmingham as holding out little hope for Labour candidate Richard Parker.
It comes as Tory Tees Valley candidate Ben Houchen receives a boost in Hartlepool.
Birmingham Labour source calling West Midlands mayoralty for Andy Street. “We have beaten him as a general rule, but the Muslim vote has collapsed to the Galloway-backed independent.”
— Patrick Maguire (@patrickkmaguire) May 3, 2024
David Cameron now has a Liberal Democrat Councillor
Friday 3 May 2024 11:38 , Kate Devlin, Politics & Whitehall Editor
The Liberal Democrats have gained the Chadlington and Churchill ward in West Oxfordshire from the Conservatives.
Foreign secretary David Cameron lives in that ward meaning he now has a local Lib Dem councillor. It is also home to Jeremy Clarkson's farm.
Tees Valley mayor given boost by Hartlepool result
Friday 3 May 2024 11:29 , Andy Gregory
Conservative Ben Houchen has received a boost from the latest count, in Hartlepool, the first constituency to declare in the Tees Valley mayoral elections.
Despite a large swing to Labour of 17 per cent, the sitting mayor still held a lead in Hartlepool – polling 10,074 compared with 8,732 for Labour’s Chris McEwan.
It comes despite a strong showing in the Hartlepool council election for Labour, who won the council back after suffering a humiliating by-election defeat there just three years previously.
Compare that with how council elections played out in Hartlepool & you see what an impressive personal vote Houchen has. Lesson for Tories is he’s done it through big tent Conservatism, acting as a local champion, promoting levelling up, embracing potential of the green agenda. https://t.co/0jb37fyg1M
— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) May 3, 2024
Watch: Tories must find role for Boris Johnson to combat ‘wokeist agenda’, says MP
Friday 3 May 2024 11:23 , Andy Gregory
Who has won? Read more
Friday 3 May 2024 11:00 , Alexander Butler
Local election results in full: Who has won the council and mayoral ballots?
Local election results in full: Who has declared victory in council and mayoral ballots?
Friday 3 May 2024 10:50 , Alexander Butler
Here are the results so far in full:
London and the South East
Broxbourne: Conservative - Hold
Colchester: No overall majority – No change
Eastleigh: Lib Dem – Hold
Fareham: Conservative – Hold
Gosport: Lib Dem – Hold
Harlow: Conservative – Hold
Hart: No overall majority – No change
Ipswich: Labour – Hold
Peterborough: No overall majority – No change
Portsmouth: No overall majority – No change
Reading: Labour – Hold
Rochford:No overall majority – No change
Rushmoor: Labour – Gain
Southampton: Labour – Hold
Southend-on-Sea: No overall majority – No change
Thurrock: Labour – Gain
Winchester: Lib Dem – Hold
South West
Exeter: Labour – Hold
Plymouth: Labour – Hold
East Midlands
Lincoln: Labour – Hold
West Midlands
Redditch: Labour – Gain
Yorkshire and the Humber
Hull: Lib Dem – Hold
North East Lincolnshire: No overall majority – Conservative loss
North East
Gateshead: Labour – Hold
Hartlepool: Labour – Gain
Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Labour – Hold
South Tyneside: Labour – Hold
Sunderland: Labour – Hold
North West
Bolton: No overall majority – No change
Chorley: Labour – Hold
Oldham: No overall majority – Labour loss
Sefton: Labour – Hold
Stockport: No overall majority – No change
Tameside: Labour – Hold
Wigan: Labour – Hold
MPs should ‘wait through the weekend’, Tory chairman urges
Friday 3 May 2024 10:13 , Alexander Butler
The Conservative Party chairman has appealed to Tory MPs “wait through the weekend” after a bruising first set of local election results, insisting Rishi Sunak is “the right man” to lead the party.
Richard Holden admitted it had been a “tough night”, but insisted the party’s drubbing on Friday was “typical for a Government in midterm”.
Elections experts have warned the Conservatives could be on course to lose 500 seats in what could be their worst showing in 40 years.
At-a-glance guide to results and declaration times
Friday 3 May 2024 09:53 , Alexander Butler
Local elections 2024: at-a-glance guide to key results and declaration times
Tories have to talk up their successes, party chair claims
Friday 3 May 2024 09:30 , Kate Devlin
The chairman of the Conservatives has claimed his party needs to talk up its “successes” as it faces its faces its worst local elections performance in four decades.
Richard Holden mentioned improvements in global education league tables and the government’s controversial Rwanda policy, to give asylum seekers a one-way ticket to the African country.
Mr Holden told Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is about us talking about those positives, consistently. And I think that’s just what we have to do”.
