The opposition Labour Party clinched victory in a parliamentary seat in northern England on Friday, along with control of multiple councils, dealing a heavy blow to the ruling Conservatives and intensifying the pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The resounding win marks the beginning of what promises to be two days of closely monitored local election results, setting the stage for a pivotal national election later this year, where Labour leader Keir Starmer could potentially ascend to power, ending the Conservatives’ 14-year reign. Despite anticipated losses, Conservative Ben Houchen secured reelection as mayor of the Tees Valley, providing a semblance of relief for Sunak amidst the electoral turmoil.
Sunak also pins hopes on the Conservative mayoral candidate in the West Midlands to maintain power, countering calls for his resignation.
The electorate cast their ballots on Thursday for over 2,000 seats on local authorities across England, alongside several high-profile mayoral elections, including in London. The spotlight was on the parliamentary seat of Blackpool South following the resignation of a Conservative lawmaker embroiled in a lobbying scandal.
Starmer wasted no time in interpreting the outcome as a direct message to the prime minister, highlighting voter discontent with the status quo and a yearning for change. Labour’s Chris Webb secured victory with a substantial margin, underlining a significant swing of 26% to Labour from the 2019 by-election result, as noted by polling expert John Curtice.
