Key points as early local election results indicate big losses for Conservatives | Local elections

May 3, 2024 Vaseline stjohnson 0

At the beginning of a long weekend of election results, the first results have been as disastrous for the Conservatives and Rishi Sunak as analysts had predicted. With less than a third of the council elections declared and no metropolitan mayoral results yet, this is the situation.

  1. 1. The Labor Party won the election in Blackpool South by 26 points

    The “red wall” seat was retaken by Labor after the third biggest swing in history between the Conservatives and Labor. Almost as worrying for the Conservatives, they managed to beat Reform UK by just 117 votes. Keir Starmer described this as a “seismic victory” and a “truly historic result”. The byelection was triggered after Scott Benton resigned in March over a lobbying scandal.

  2. 2. Conservative Party on track to lose up to 500 council seats

    The Conservatives have already lost more than 100 council seats in a night of big losses for the party. Political scientist Professor Sir John Curtice said the party was “basically losing half the seats it is trying to defend”. If this continues, he added, they could end up losing about 500 seats. Speaking to the BBC’s Today programme, he said the party appeared to be on course for “one of the worst, if not the worst, Conservative performance in local government elections in the last 40 years”.

  3. 3. Sunak will lead party in general election, says Tory president

    Richard Holden, chairman of the Conservative Party, said that although the results had not been great for the Conservatives, there was no chance of Rishi Sunak being replaced. Speaking to Times Radio, he said: “The Prime Minister will go ahead and lead the Conservative Party until the general election, there’s no doubt about that.” Asked for his response to the results so far, Holden said: “It’s not a great set of results, but I think it would be fair to say, a very high water mark in 2021.”

  4. 4. Labor has gained control of four councils

    The party has snatched Rushmoor and Redditch from the Conservatives. It has also removed Hartlepool and Thurrock, both without overall control. The Conservatives have lost control of three town councils. Full results are available here.

  5. 5. Labor has lost control of Oldham Town Council

    The independents’ gains meant Labor lost its slim majority on Oldham council, in an area with a large Muslim population. Arooj Shah, Labor leader of Oldham council, rejected suggestions that Starmer’s response to the Israel-Gaza war was to blame. Shah said there had been “divisive and toxic politics” in Oldham for the past five years and the problems in the town were ultimately linked to Tory austerity.

  6. 6. The Liberal Democrats have won seats, but so far no councils.

    The Liberal Democrats retained control of Winchester, after winning eight of the first 10 seats declared. Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the party, said: “The Liberal Democrats are winning councilors across the country, from Hampshire to Stockport. “The Liberal Democrats’ winning streak continues and we are ready to defeat Conservative MPs and finally remove this chaotic government from power.”

  7. 7. Labor has failed to take control of Harlow

    Harlow, a leading seat in the general election, had been the party’s target in the local elections with visits from Starmer and Angela Rayner, the Labor deputy leader, on Wednesday. Starmer said Labor needed to win “in places like Harlow”. The Conservatives went into the local elections with 21 of the council seats and Labor held the other 12. The Conservatives now have 17 seats and Labor 16.