The Conservatives do not deserve to be in power “any longer”, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer has said in a fresh challenge to Rishi Sunak following his party’s local election defeats.
The Labor leader also said he was confident Sadiq Khan could win a third term as Labor mayor of London, amid suggestions the battle with Tory challenger Susan Hall could be closer than expected.
Both the Prime Minister and Sir Keir are prepared for the results of the key mayoral elections in London and the West Midlands, which are also expected to be a close contest for incumbent Tory leader Andy Street.
When Friday’s results declarations concluded, the Conservatives had suffered a net loss of 371 seats and lost control of ten councils.
In total, Labor won control of eight councils as it saw a net gain of 204 seats, and achieved victory in three inaugural mayoral races in the East Midlands, the North East and in York and North Yorkshire, a region that includes Rishi Sunak’s Richmond constituency includes. .
Speaking in Mansfield on Saturday morning alongside the new Labor mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, Labor leader Sir Keir said: “I think the message here is very, very clear, and I think there is a feeling across the East Midlands has been a send of that message to the Government, which is that we have had enough of your division, of your chaos, of your failure.
“Fourteen years, and I’m sorry, I don’t care what political party you support, if you leave your country in a worse state than when you found it fourteen years later, you don’t deserve to be in government for another moment to sit. ”
A number of more mayoral elections will take place on Saturday, with London and the West Midlands considered the most important.
But Sir Keir dismissed concerns about Khan’s fate at the election, telling reporters: “Sadiq Khan was absolutely the right candidate. He has completed two delivery terms and I am confident that he has another delivery term ahead of him.”
Further Tory losses in Saturday’s results could provide fodder for Tory rebels looking to oust Sunak before the general election, although the Conservative victory in the Tees Valley mayoral election on Friday appears to have quelled the rebellion.
Lord Ben Houchen retained the mayoralty, amid denials that he had tried to distance himself from the Conservative Party during his campaign.
In a defiant message to end the first day of results, Sunak suggested there was still hope for his party despite already suffering heavy defeats in the final test of voters before the general election.
He wrote in the Telegraph newspaper: “Thursday’s results showed voters are frustrated and wondering why they should vote. The fact that Labor is not winning in places where they themselves admit they need a majority shows that Keir Starmer’s lack of plan and vision is hurting them.
“We Conservatives have everything to fight for – and we will, because we are fighting for our values and the future of our country.”
Mr Sunak pointed to his party’s recent pledge to increase defense spending and moves to consider migration as clear dividing lines with Labour.
Sir Keir’s conclusion ahead of the general election was to “turn the page on the decline”, as he highlighted Labour’s plans to “pick up the NHS”, ensuring the streets are safe, affordable build houses and provide safe jobs.
The party gained the Tory scalp by winning the Blackpool South by-election, but lost seats on a few councils to independents and George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain, apparently because of its position on Gaza.
In Friday’s results, the Liberal Democrats won 92 seats and the Greens 58.
The Liberal Democrats’ most significant victory was capturing control of Dorset Council from the Conservatives, where the council now has 42 of the 82 seats, after gaining 15 seats.
The Greens narrowly failed to take overall control of Bristol, one of their main targets, despite gaining 10 seats.
