Local election gloom for Sunak despite mayoral win

Media caption, Starmer: Blackpool has sent a message to Rishi Sunak

By Jennifer McKiernan & Becky Morton

Political reporters

Sir Keir Starmer said voters had sent Rishi Sunak a clear call for change in the last big test of public opinion before a general election.

Labour took Blackpool South in a by-election by a huge margin and won target councils across England.

Mr Sunak admitted results so far were “disappointing” although his party retained the Tees Valley mayoralty.

Many more results are still to come – with nearly a half the 107 councils declared so far.

Sir Keir said the Blackpool result – a massive 26% swing to Labour – was a message to the Tory leader that it was time to move on and call a general election.

“That wasn’t just a little message, that wasn’t just a murmur, that was a shout from Blackpool – we want change.

“And Blackpool speaks for the whole country – it’s saying that we’ve had enough now.”

In a rare bright spot for the Tories, Lord Ben Houchen was elected for a third term in Tees Valley, with a much reduced majority.

He denied that he had shied away from campaigning as a Conservative or mentioning Rishi Sunak in his campaign literature.

When asked whether the Conservatives could win another term in government, he told the BBC: “There’s always a chance but the government needs to do a lot better at delivering for people… We need to give them the excuse to vote for us.”

Most other mayoral results – including London, where Labour’s Sadiq Khan is aiming to win a third term – will come on Saturday.

MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns, a longstanding critic of Mr Sunak, urged him to listen to the electorate and change course, saying the party needed to “wake up, be conservative, or we lose”.

But Conservative MP for Cleethorpes, Martin Vickers, backed Mr Sunak’s leadership and called the idea of changing leader “complete madness” just months away from a general election.

‘Strong feelings around the Middle East’

Labour will be particularly pleased to have regained control of key council targets Hartlepool, Thurrock, Rushmoor and Redditch – areas where they are aiming to win at the general election later this year.

But, there is evidence that Labour’s stance on Gaza is hurting the party in areas with a significant Muslim population.

In Oldham, where two Labour councillors quit the party over Gaza earlier this year, Labour lost control of the council.

Labour MP Pat McFadden, the party’s national campaign coordinator, admitted “strong feelings” around the Middle East were “a factor” in the losses, adding: “I don’t think there’s any point denying that – it does get raised”.

Reform UK is doing well in the areas where it has fielded candidates – and nearly beat the Tories into second place in Blackpool South.

Reform leader Richard Tice said the results showed his party “is rapidly becoming the real opposition to Labour”.

The Green Party is also performing well and heading for a record number of councillors.

The Liberal Democrats have made modest gains so far but the party’s deputy leader Daisy Cooper said most of their target areas, including Tunbridge Wells and Wokingham, won’t declare until later.

“We’re very hopeful we can make some significant gains in both places,” she told the BBC’s Politics Live, adding Lib Dems were making “significant gains, particularly in those places where we’re ideally positioned to win seats off the Conservatives at the next general election”.

The by-election in Blackpool South was triggered by the resignation of former Conservative MP Scott Benton, who was suspended from the party after being caught in a lobbying sting.

Labour candidate Chris Webb overturned a majority of 3,690 to defeat Conservative David Jones in the constituency, which was previously held by Labour from 1997 to 2019.

The swing of 26% from the Tories to Labour was the third biggest in a by-election since 1945.

Overall, it was a bad night for the Conservatives, who lost more than 120 council seats and control of three councils, while Labour gained 52 council seats.

Elections expert Prof Sir John Curtice said the Tories could be on course to lose 500 councillors in “one of the worst, if not the worst” performances by the party in 40 years.

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, Labour’s Chris Webb was joined by his wife and son at the Blackpool South count

There are nine other mayoral contests taking place – including in London, Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region.

The East Midlands, the North East, and York and North Yorkshire are also electing mayors for the first time.

Elsewhere, 37 police and crime commissioners are being elected in England and Wales.

Votes are still being counted in the majority of councils, with the final declarations not expected until Sunday.