Local elections results – live: Labour win in West Midlands and London as Sunak facing fresh rebellion
Labour’s Sadiq Khan secures third term as Mayor of London, beating Conservative Susan Hall
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Rishi Sunak is facing fresh Conservative unrest after Labour claimed victory in the West Midlands mayoral election, beating Andy Street in a tight race.
The newly elected mayor, Richard Parker, secured a majority against his Conservative opponent who has served two terms and held office since 2017.
The result is the latest in a string of Labour mayoral and council wins nationwide as the Conservatives suffered historic blows. “I don’t think he’s out of the woods,” a former minister told the Financial Times, referring to Mr Sunak’s position.
Meanwhile, Labour’s Sadiq Khan secured a third term as Mayor of London beating Conservative Susan Hall.
Mr Sunak also suffered terrible losses in council elections as the Conservatives lost more than 400 councillors and control of ten councils.
State of play
Total no of councils - Lab 50 (+8) | Lib Dem: 12 (+ 2)| Con: 6 (-10) | Ind & Others: 1 (+1) | Greens: 0 | NOC: 36 (-1)
Councillors - Lab 1,140 (+185) | Lib Dem: 521 (+104) | Con: 513 (-473) | Ind & Others: 228 (+93) | Green: 181 (+74) | RA 48 (+11) | Workers Party of Britain 4 (+4) | Reform 2 (+2)
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Starmer vows to re-gain trust of defected Labour voters
Sir Keir Starmer struck a conciliatory tone as he told voters who had turned away from Labour over its stance on Gaza that he was determined to win their trust again in the future.
Speaking in Birmingham, the Labour leader said: “I say directly to those who may have voted Labour in the past, but felt on this occasion they couldn’t, that across the West Midlands we are a proud and diverse community.
“I have heard you. I have listened. And I am determined to meet your concerns and to gain your respect and trust again in the future.”
‘Thank you, and good night’ - Andy Street says goodbye to office after two terms as West Midlands mayor
Former West Midlands mayor Andy Street said it has been his “honour to serve and to lead this place for the last seven years”.
He said: “I hope I’ve done it with dignity and integrity.
“And I hope I’ve bequeathed to Richard a combined authority and indeed a role to which young aspiring leaders will want to aspire one day.
“In a sense, I can have done no more than that.
“It has been a great privilege. But tonight, I just wanted to say thank you, and good night.”
Andy Street says time as mayor was ‘honour’ as he faces shock defeat
Former West Midlands mayor Andy Street apologised to his Conservative team after being defeated by Labour’s Richard Parker and not making a hat-trick, but added “mark my words, you will be back for that”.
Saying thank you to his team across the region, he added: “It has been my honour to lead you for the last seven years.
“I’m sorry, we couldn’t make it that triple or hat-trick, but mark my words, you will be back for that.”
Mr Street thanked his fellow candidates, including Mr Parker for “how he’s conducted himself in the campaign” and wished him “all strength and wisdom as he takes on this role”.
And he also thanked those who voted for him on Thursday, for the “trust” they showed in him, adding “that’s perhaps the most important word in politics of all”.
Mr Street said: “In the end, it was not to be, but of course, that doesn’t mean I appreciate that trust any less. So thank you, to the voters.”
Parker vows to make West Midlands ‘roaring success again'
Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker said he would “make this region a roaring success again” and that his election shows “people are calling for Labour, and calling for change”.
He said: “This is the most important thing I will ever do, this week people here voted for the person and the party.
“They recognise that a Labour mayor can make a positive difference in this region.
“You have put your trust in me and I will repay that trust – I will deliver for you and your family, I promise you that I will deliver jobs, we will fix our public transport system, we will build the homes you need and we will give this region the fresh start it richly deserves.”
He said he would stand up “in the face of unprecedented Tory cuts”, and added: “I will also stand up for those people who didn’t vote for me.
“It also means so much to our country, it shows that people are calling for Labour, and calling for change. People are looking once again at our party and asking us to govern, up and down the country.”
New West Midlands mayor thanks opponent Andy Street after shock win
Newly elected Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker thanked Conservative candidate Andy Street after his shock win.
Speaking after his election was announced, Labour’s Mr Parker said: “Thank you first and foremost, thank you.”
He thanked polling staff and added: “Thank you also to Andy (Street), you’ve led this region through a number of great challenges and you deserve a great credit for that.
“You deserve credit for building up the combined authority into the powerhouse that it is today, through the economic shocks, and leading this region when it came out of Covid.
“You’ve been out there representing our region, I absolutely believe that whilst our politics are different, Andy, we both have our best interests of the West Midlands at heart.”
Sunak to step up defence against backbench challenges amid catastrophic losses
Rishi Sunak needs to dig the Conservatives out of a hole with bold offers for voters, Conservative former minister Suella Braverman has said amid local election losses.
Writing in the Telegraph newspaper, the former home secretary said: “Let me cut to the chase so no-one wastes time over-analysing this: we must not change our leader. Changing leader now won’t work: the time to do so came and went. The hole to dig us out of is the PM’s, and it’s time for him to start shovelling.”
Ms Braverman claimed her local Tory councillors in Fareham had “bucked the trend despite the national government” by retaining their seats.
“As I warned in November, the Prime Minister’s plan is not working and he needs to change course,” she said.
But the former cabinet minister claimed all was “not lost” for the Tories among voters, adding: “They want a reason to vote Conservative, but we are failing to provide them with one. We need to be frank about this if we are to have any chance of fixing the problem.”
She urged Mr Sunak to adopt “strong leadership, not managerialism” on tax, migration, the small boats and law and order.
Andy Street’s loss marks huge blow for Conservatives
Andy Street has lost the West Midlands mayoralty in a shock defeat for the Conservatives, as Labour mayors swept to victory across England amid a drubbing for Rishi Sunak.
Tory candidate Mr Street had hoped to cling on in the West Midlands, but was narrowly defeated in an upset by his Labour rival Richard Parker, party sources said.
The Conservative loss was part of a double blow for the Prime Minister after Labour’s Sadiq Khan secured a historic third term as Mayor of London.
The party also counted mayoral victories in Liverpool, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and in Greater Manchester where Andy Burnham returned to power.
With the loss of the West Midlands, the Prime Minister is left with the sole consolation of a mayoral victory in the Tees Valley.
Labour celebrates shock West Midlands win
Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator and Lewisham MP Ellie Reeves posted on X: “Congratulations @RichParkerLab.
“An incredible result and significant victory.
“Right across the country people have voted for change and the message is clear…
“It’s time for a General Election and a Labour govt to get our country’s future back.”
Andy Street loses tight West Midland mayoral race
Labour has claimed victory in the West Midlands mayoral election beating Conservative candidate Andy Street in a tight race.
The newly elected mayor, Richard Parker, secured a majority against his opponent who has served two terms and held office since 2017.
London Assembly results declared
With all 14 constituencies of the London Assembly declared, Labour had 10 seats, the Conservatives three and the Liberal Democrats one.
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