Local elections and London mayoral results 2024: Conservatives suffer big losses as focus turns to London and West Midlands

Ben Houchen’s victory in the Tees Valley mayoral election provides an almost solitary ray of Tory hope after the party’s “seismic” election defeats, writes David Maddox.

With hundreds of Conservative councilors losing their seats, failing to win the North Yorkshire mayoralty in Rishi Sunak’s own backyard and the biggest swing against him in a by-election in Blackpool South, things are looking pretty bleak for the Prime Minister.

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Rishi Sunak seemed optimistic even though the Conservatives suffered defeats across the country in Friday’s (May 3) local election results.

Experts have warned that the Conservatives could lose 500 seats in what could be their worst numbers in 40 years.

Sunak acknowledged the defeats, but wanted to highlight the fact that his party had clung to harlow – although there the party’s majority was reduced from nine to a single seat.

“(Mister) Keir Starmer held a rally Wednesday saying (Harlow) was a place he had to win to be on track to win the general election.

“That hasn’t happened.”

The Liberal Democrats wrested Dorset from the Conservatives after winning 15 seats.

The party now has 42 of the 82 council seats, while the Conservatives have 30 after losing 13.

There are four independent councillors, four Green and two Labour.

Dorset is the first Liberal Democrat council the Conservatives have won at this election.

Labor MP Clive Betts said there was “no doubt” 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 very clearly, and in one of the constituencies that was one of our safest, an independent candidate was elected fighting solely on the Gaza issue, he did not fight on anything else, that’s what their brochures were about.

“So people voted on the basis that they were unhappy with Labor and our stance on Gaza.

“A lot of that was a mistake, because we believed that we had not changed our position on Gaza for a few months, but once people consider that we have been wrong, it is very difficult to change our mind.”

Veteran conservatives put their fingers in their ears and pretend the dire results simply don’t exist, writes Joe Murphy. But, unfortunately for them, they do, and it won’t be long before reality hits them.

Read Joe’s article in full here:

Labour’s Sadiq Khan is facing his Conservative rival Susan Hall to win a third term as London mayor, with poll results ahead of the actual vote unanimously suggesting he would win comfortably.

However, as London waits for the count to begin on Saturday, several journalists from outlets such as GB News and the Signing times They have reported anxieties within the Labor camp and, incredibly unbelievably, confidence in the Tory camp headquarters that the result will be close enough for a historic upset.

Big night for the Green Party in Bristol – the party won 10 seats and became the largest party on the city council.

The party now holds 34 of the 70 seats, gaining 10 more seats after Thursday night’s vote. The second largest party with 21 seats, Labor, lost three, while the Conservatives lost half and now have just seven.

The only downside for the Greens was that they didn’t actually take control.

However, party co-leader Carla Denyer, who will stand in a new Bristol constituency at the next general election, was pleased with the result.

“I am so grateful for all the support voters have given us in Bristol and across the country,” she said.