LONDON: The Labour Party of Britain secured a significant victory in a parliamentary seat in northern England on Friday, along with gaining control of several councils, dealing a blow to the Conservative Party and increasing pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to consider an early general election.
This resounding win sets the stage for two days of closely watched local election results, preceding the anticipated national election later this year. Recent polls suggest that Labour leader Keir Starmer could ascend to power, potentially ending 14 years of Conservative governance.
Despite anticipated losses, Conservative Ben Houchen managed to secure re-election as the mayor of the Tees Valley in northern England, offering a modicum of relief to Sunak. Additionally, Sunak pins hope on the Conservative mayoral candidate in the West Midlands to maintain power, potentially quelling calls for his resignation.
On Thursday, voters across England cast their ballots for over 2,000 local authority seats and several high-profile mayoral elections, including in the capital, London. A lawmaker from London resigned over a lobbying scandal, prompting Starmer to emphasize the significance of the electoral outcome.
Addressing supporters in Blackpool, Starmer underscored the message sent to the Prime Minister and Sunak, expressing discontent with their leadership. Labour candidate Chris Webb’s landslide victory, with 10,825 votes compared to the Conservative candidate’s 3,218, marked a significant swing of 26% towards Labour from the 2019 result, according to polling expert John Curtice.
Meanwhile, the right-wing Reform party narrowly missed out on surpassing the Conservatives, securing a third-place finish.
Richard Holden, Chairman of the Conservative Party, acknowledged the challenges faced, labeling it “a tough night.” With the Conservatives trailing Labour by around 20 percentage points in most national polls for the upcoming election, scheduled for the latter half of the year according to Sunak, the losses could intensify calls for leadership change.
Despite Sunak’s efforts, such as announcing increased defense spending and pushing through controversial plans regarding illegal asylum seekers, the losses in these elections could reignite calls for his resignation.
Curtice’s analysis suggests that, based on current results, the Conservatives might be heading towards their worst local election performance in four decades, possibly foreshadowing defeat in the national election.
The initial council results, numbering over 2,600, indicate Labour’s gains at the expense of the Conservatives, aligning with predictions of substantial losses for the governing party by finance minister Jeremy Hunt.
However, the Conservatives found solace in Starmer’s failure to secure control of a targeted southeastern council and celebrated Houchen’s victory, as he had distanced himself from the Conservative label during his campaign.
The Conservatives also hold hope for retaining the mayoralty in the West Midlands. Results from this election and the one in London, where incumbent Labour mayor Sadiq Khan is expected to secure another term, are expected on Saturday.
As the electoral saga unfolds, Sunak remains optimistic, pointing out pending results and highlighting instances like the rally in Harlow, where Starmer’s victory was deemed crucial for a shot at winning a general election, which did not materialize.
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