- By Kate Whannel
- Political reporter, BBC News
Sir Keir Starmer has added to the Conservative electoral misery with a series of Labor victories in regional mayoral contests.
After a damning set of local council results, the Conservatives were pinning their hopes on retaining the West Midlands for the current Andy Street.
But he lost by a margin of just 1,508 votes to Labour’s Richard Parker, dealing yet another blow to Rishi Sunak.
The prime minister now faces the task of rallying his battered party ahead of general elections due in a few months.
The dramatic defeat in the West Midlands – only confirmed after a bruising recount – ended a run of dismal results for the Conservatives, with Ben Houchen in Tees Valley the party’s only mayoral success in 11 contests across England.
In the local elections, the Conservatives lost more than 470 councilors and control of 10 councils.
The party also failed to retain the Blackpool South parliamentary seat, where it lost to Labor and was nearly beaten into third place by Reform UK, the successor to Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.
Despite the poor performance, rumors about a possible move by disgruntled Conservative MPs to remove Sunak as party leader appear to have dissipated.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, former home secretary and Sunak critic Suella Braverman said: “We must not change our leader. Changing the leader now will not work: the time to do so has come and gone.
“The hole to dig us out of is the PM’s, and it’s time for him to start digging.”
Sunak said it was disappointing to lose Street and “dedicated” councilors, but said that by following the party’s plan “we will protect our borders, grow the economy and create opportunities for everyone in this great country to thrive and thrive.”
Celebrating with supporters in Birmingham, Labor leader Sir Keir said: “We started in Blackpool with a 26% swing and finished in the West Midlands with our new mayor Richard Parker, and so much more – town halls, councils and our police and crime commissioners. “
He called the “phenomenal” result in the West Midlands “beyond our expectations”, adding that voters “are fed up with 14 years of decline, chaos and division” and urged Sunak to call a general election.
Elsewhere, smaller opposition parties performed well, with the Liberal Democrats returning 521 councilors – more than the Conservatives with 513 – while the Greens secured the most seats ever.
Of the 11 mayoral contests, Labor won in 10 areas – East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Greater London, Liverpool City Region, North East, Salford, South Yorkshire, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and York and North Yorkshire.
While the party will have plenty to smile about this weekend, it will have concerns about an apparent backlash in some Muslim areas over its stance on Gaza.
In 58 council wards analyzed by the BBC, where more than one in five residents identify as Muslim, the Labor Party’s vote share fell by 21% compared to 2021, the last time the majority of seats were contested.
The potential impact on the general election is unclear, however there is some evidence that the biggest drops in support are largely confined to areas where the party’s support was already very strong.
Asked if he was worried about losing votes on the issue, Sir Keir said: “When we are unable to persuade people who might otherwise have voted for the Labor Party, it is important for me to recognize that, to say I have heard, I have heard and I am determined to address the concerns they have.”
It was a downside to a positive performance from Labor, which saw it gain 185 councilors to take control of eight councils.
The party also gained 10 new Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) from the Conservatives, leaving both parties with a total of 17 each. Plaid Cymru’s PCC candidate won in Dyfed-Powys.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats are celebrating winning more than 100 councilors and taking control of Dorset and Tunbridge Wells councils.
However, it missed the opportunity to secure a majority of seats in the target areas of West Oxfordshire and Wokingham.
Party leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Across the country, Conservative MPs will be looking at their duties, terrified of the Liberal Democrats, who won more seats than them at this election.”
The Green Party hailed a “record campaign” after winning a total of 181 council seats, an increase of more than 70.
Reform UK performed strongly in the Blackpool South by-election, finishing just 117 votes behind the Conservatives.
George Galloway’s Workers’ Party of Great Britain won four council seats, including one in Manchester, where it ousted the council’s deputy Labor leader, Luthfur Rahman.
The Women’s Equality Party won its first council seat when Stacy Hart was elected to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
