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Votes are being counted today in key mayoral elections including London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Salford
The results of key mayoral elections in London and the West Midlands will be announced today after the Tories were trounced in council elections.
Sadiq Khan is in a closer-than-expected battle to become the first person ever to win a third term as Mayor of London. If he is ousted by Tory rival Susan Hall it would be a major upset. She has faced criticism over her divisive views, including support of Donald Trump.
A narrow contest is also likely in the West Midlands where Tory Andy Street is hoping to cling on, while Andy Burnham is expected to win comfortably in Greater Manchester. Mayors will also be announced in the Liverpool City region, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Salford. The results of 10 police and crime commissioner elections are due today, along with the final remaining local council declarations.
Rishi Sunak has claimed the Conservatives have “everything to fight for” ahead of the general election despite disappointing results so far. The Tories have lost over 400 council seats. Keir Starmer held a rally in Northallerton in the PM’s constituency after Labour won the York and North Yorkshire mayoral race.
Labour won inaugural mayoral contests in the East Midlands and the North East, and gained nine police and crime commissioner posts from the Tories, including in Cumbria, Avon and Somerset, and Norfolk. It also took a Tory scalp by winning the Blackpool South by-election. But the Conservative Ben Houchen managed to survive as Tees Valley Mayor despite a swing to Labour.
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The Conservatives no longer deserve to be in power, Keir Starmer has said at a rally in Mansfield.
Speaking alongside the new Labour mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward, he said: "I think the message here is very, very clear, and I think across the East Midlands there has been a sending of that message to the Government, which is we are fed up with your division, with your chaos, with your failure. Fourteen years, and I am sorry, I don't care which political party you support, if you leave your country in a worse state then when you found it 14 years later you do not deserve to be in Government for a moment longer."
Mr Starmer said his party will "turn the page on decline" as he set out his stall for the general election. He added: "Let's turn the page on decline and usher in national renewal with Labour."
Ben Houchen was victorious in his battle to remain as Tees Valley Mayor, but he got into a row with a journalist at the count yesterday.
The Tory politician had a bad-tempered exchange with Richard Brooks from Private Eye, who has written extensively about the running of the Teesworks project.
Luckily our colleague Rob Parsons was recording his Northern Agenda podcast nearby and got the confrontation on tape. You can listen to his podcast now.
Local election results so far demonstrate Rishi Sunak has "very little to show" for his efforts to recover the Conservative brand following Liz Truss's premiership, Sir John Curtice said.
The election expert told the BBC: "There is nothing in these results to suggest contrary to the opinion polls that the Conservatives are actually beginning to narrow the gap on Labour, and that so far at least, Rishi Sunak's project which has tried to recover from the disaster – from the Conservatives' point of view – of the Liz Truss fiscal event, that project has still got very little to show for it. That in a sense is the big takeaway.
"Now the Conservatives, as when all parties do badly in elections, they always want you to focus on the exception rather than the rule, and Tees Valley and probably the West Midlands are the exceptions not the rule."
On Labour losses over its stance on Gaza, Sir John said: "At the moment I think what we would find if we had a general election is that Labour might well fall back in some of these seats, but because the Labour Party is already so strong, they would probably still succeed in winning the parliamentary election. But yep, this is a big message to Labour from these local elections, is that you are indeed now in trouble with some of your Muslim former supporters."
1. No one has ever won a third term. Ken Livingstone was beaten by Boris Johnson when he tried in 2008, while Mr Johnson decided to return to Westminster instead of seeking a third term. Sadiq Khan was first elected in 2016 when he got 44.2% of first preference voters. When he ran for a second time in 2021 – after the election was delayed a year because of the pandemic – his share of first preference votes was lower at 40.0%.
2. The voting system has changed. For the first time the election will be decided by First Past The Post in the same way as parliamentary elections. Previously voters got to cast a first and second preference vote. This meant that supporters of parties such as the Greens and Lib Dems could back their own candidate in the first round and then give their vote to Mr Khan in a second round. This time that will not be the case with people getting just one choice.
3. Turnout is higher in outer London. Figures show that a larger proportion of people voted in outer London boroughs, which traditionally have been more likely to back the Conservatives. There are fears that many people in these areas are angry about Mr Khan’s decision to expand Ulez, which charges drivers of the most polluting vehicles. Turnout was 48.4% in Bexley and Bromley, compared to just 31.1% in the City and East London.
Read the full story.
Boris Johnson has admitted that he was turned away at a polling station on Thursday after attempting to vote without a valid ID. The Prime Minister said he attempted to use the address label from a magazine that he got in the post as a form of identification.
In his column in the Daily Mail, he wrote: "I want to pay a particular tribute to the three villagers who on Thursday rightly turned me away when I appeared in the polling station with nothing to prove my identity except the sleeve of my copy of Prospect magazine, on which my name and address had been printed. I showed it to them and they looked very dubious… within minutes I was back with my driving licence and voted Tory."
The Mirror revealed on Thursday evening that Mr Johnson had only had some post with his name and address on it.
The requirement to provide photo ID was introduced by Mr Johnson during his time in Downing Street as part of the Elections Act 2022.
Read the full story.
Votes will be counted in mayoral races including London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester on Saturday.
Sadiq Khan is hoping to become the first person ever to win a third term as the mayor of the capital, although he faces a challenge partly because the voting system has changed so is now First Past The Post.
Tory Andy Street faces a close fight in the West Midlands, while Andy Burnham is expected to win comfortably in Greater Manchester.
Mayors will also be announced in the Liverpool City region, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Salford. The results of 10 police and crime commissioner elections are due later on Saturday, along with the final remaining local council declarations.
It is not looking good for Labour's Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire.
The Green Party has won all 14 council seats in the wards that make up the Bristol Central constituency where she’s standing at the general election.
Ms Debbonaire won her current seat Bristol West, which has slightly different boundaries, with a majority of 28,219 votes in 2019.
Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has admitted that the conflict in Gaza has dented the party.
She told Times Radio: "There are some areas where this is an issue, we clearly recognise that."
"Obviously there have been some areas where we know that there have been some independent candidates campaigning very strongly on the issue of Gaza, which people do feel very strongly about.
"Look, it is an issue in some areas and that does recognise, I think, the fact that tens of thousands of people have been killed. It's just devastating what's happening. It's why we do need an immediate ceasefire "
It's also worth having a look at which councils have changed hands today. Latest figures show Labour have overall control of eight more than they did yesterday, while the Tories have lost eight.
With 83 of 107 councils declared, these are the ones that have seen a change in leadership.
Adur – Labour gain from Tories
Basildon – No overall control, was Tory
Brentwood – No overall control, was Tory
Cannock Chase – Labour gain from Tories
Hartlepool – Labour gain from no overall control
Hyndburn – Labour gain from no overall control
Milton Keynes – Labour gain from no overall control
North East Lincolnshire – No overall control, was Tory
Nuneaton and Bedworth – Labour gain from Tory
Oldham – No overall control, was Labour
Redditch – Labour gain from Tories
Rushmoor – Labour gain from Tories
Tamworth – Labour gain from no overall control
Thurrock – Labour gain from no overall control
As 6pm approaches, let's have a look at the number of council seats the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems have lost and gained.
It's been a rough 48 hours for the Conservatives, who have so far shed a massive 337 councillors. It's a better picture for Labour, who have won an additional 141, while the Lib Dems have 56 more than they started with.
The Greens have another 41, while there are now 82 more independents.
Rishi Sunak was humiliated in his own backyard as the Conservatives were beaten in the race to become Mayor of York and North Yorkshire mayoralty.
Labour has won big in the Blackpool South by-election, while snatching councils in areas that are key parliamentary battlegrounds including Nuneaton.
Read the full story.
A delighted Keir Starmer has said it is a 'special moment' to win in Rishi Sunak's backyard.
Speaking in Northallerton, where Labour's David Skaith won the race for York and North Yorkshire Mayor, the Labour leader said: "People are fed up with a failed Government and they've registered that here."
Referring to the Prime Minister he said: "I think we're in his constituency now celebrating this victory and that sends its own message."
Mr Starmer added:"I'm very, very proud to start here as leader of the Labour Party to celebrate this historic victory. This is a historic victory. These are places where we would not normally have had a Labour Party success."
Rishi Sunak has been branded a "squatter" after a disastrous run of local election results.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said it shows the need for a general election. He said: “These results show what we all know: we need a General Election now. No matter how long Rishi Sunak stays squatting in Downing Street, the Liberal Democrat General Election campaign starts today to make this Conservative Government history.
“From Cheltenham to Hull and here in Hampshire – people are choosing the Liberal Democrats to make that change happen. To be their strong local champions, work tirelessly for their communities and deliver the fair deal people deserve.”
New East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward has said Labour is "ready to deliver".
Ms Ward, speaking after winning the region's first ever mayoral election, said: "Throughout this campaign, I've heard the message loud and clear. You are ready for change. You've put your trust in me. You've also put your trust in a changed Labour Party."
It's worth taking a quick look at the number of council seats parties have gained and lost so far.
At the moment Labour are up 115, while the Tories are down a massive 272. It's not been a bad day for the Lib Dems, with the party picking up an extra 44 seats, while the Greens have another 30.
It's been a big election for independent candidates, with another 79 winning so far.
Another big win for Labour, this time in Nuneaton & Bedworth.
It's a significant bellweather seat that both the Tories and Labour will be wanting to win in the general election. In an ominous sign for Rishi Sunak, the Tories shed 11 votes while Labour picked up 15.
Former Labour Home Secretary says the local elections show Labour has made a "major step forward".
He told Sky News: "I think the Conservatives' confidence has been very, very badly damaged and I can't see now how they can win elections. The question is can Labour get an overall majority?"
He went on: "I'm not getting excited. I just think this is really good. It's another major step forward. It indicates that we can do it even in places like Hampshire."
More bad news for the Tories as they lose control of Basildon Council after losing 12 seats.
The local authority is now under no overall control, with Labour picking up nine seats and four independents winning.
Rishi Sunak has made a short visit to speak to supporters alongside newly re-elected Teesside mayor Ben Houchen.
The PM posed up for photos, as he said: "I have a message to the Labour party – they know that they have to win here in order to win at the general elections – they assume that Tees Valley would stroll back to them but it didn't. People knew that they couldn't be taken for granted."
The win offers Mr Sunak a lifeline after a bruising set of losses across local councils and other mayoral battles.
Labour has won control of Adur District Council from the Tories.
It was a key race for Labour and is the first time it has ever won the West Suessex council. The Tories have held the seat since 2002.
A bit more detail now on Labour candidate Kim McGuinness's win in the North East mayoral election.
She defeated former Labour-turned-independent candidate Jamie Driscoll. In the first contest for the new mayoralty, Ms McGuinness secured 185,051 votes, defeating Mr Driscoll by a margin of just under 60,000 votes.
Labour excluded Mr Driscoll as a candidate despite his position as the Mayor of North of Tyne. The decision provoked a backlash from his supporters, who regarded him as the victim of an attempt to purge left-wingers from the party.
Conservative candidate Guy Renner Thompson came third on 52,446 and Reform UK's Paul Donaghy fourth on 41,147.
Labour has inflicted a major defeat on Rishi Sunak in his own backyard by winning the first York and North Yorkshire mayoral race.
David Skaith, Labour's candidate, beat Tory Keane Duncan for the newly created role, according to the party. It will come as blow to Mr Sunak, whose Richmond constituency is in the area.
No10 refused to say where, when and how Mr Sunak had voted but it is believed that he voted in Yorkshire.
A Labour spokeswoman said: "“This is a truly historic result in York and North Yorkshire. Keir Starmer's Labour party is now winning in Rishi Sunak’s backyard. The Prime Minister’s own constituents have taken a look at the two parties and chosen Labour.”
Click here for the full story
Labour's Kim McGuinness has beaten independent Jamie Driscoll to become the new North East mayor.
Mr Driscoll, who is currenly North Tyne Combined Authority mayor, was barred from standing to be Labour's candidate for the new North East role last year.
The left-winger described the decision at the time as "arbitrary and capricious". A Labour source at the time suggested it was linked to an on-stage appearance with director Ken Loach, who was expelled from the party in 2021.
Mr Driscoll quit the party and decided to stand as an independent candidate.
Labour says it has taken control of Hyndburn, in Lancashire.
It has been under no overall control, with the Tories as the largest party and Labour in second place.
This is a very good result for Keir Starmer.
Labour says it has stormed to victory in the East Midlands mayoral contest.
A party source said Labour candidate Claire Ward had "comfortably" defeated Tory Ben Bradley, who is also MP for Mansfield and leader of Nottinghamshire County Council.
The source described the region as "the beating heart of the general election battleground".
The Conservatives lost all eight of their seats on Castle Point, in Essex, as independents won all 39.
Thirteen Conservative candidates failed to appear on ballot papers because of problems with nominations.
The Tories only managed to cling on to a key council thanks to a candidate under investigation over alleged Islamophobic comments.
Harrow Council was a lone early glimmer of hope for Rishi Sunak amid a disastrous local election night. Local Tory MP Rob Halfon described the outcome, which saw the Tories’ majority on the council slashed from nine to one, as “the biggest comeback since Lazarus.”
But the Tories only have 17 councillors to Labour's 16 if counting James Leppard. Just two weeks ago, the party said it had suspended him over allegations he’d made Islamophobic comments on Facebook, saying of Muslims that “we really don’t need them here" and "they add nothing.”
Read the full story.
Labour retained Swindon, gaining nine seats as the Conservatives lost eight and an independent lost one.
The new council is Labour 41, Conservative 15, Liberal Democrat one.
Labour dramatically won control from the Tories last year but with a small majority so the Tories were keen to flip it back.
Polling supremo Professor Sir John Curtice said the Tees Valley result was a "silver lining" for the Tories on an otherwise "very cloudy electoral night".
But he argued that much of the result was down to Ben Houchen's personal popularity.
Writing for the BBC, he said: "Although Houchen's vote has fallen by 19% since 2021, his performance is still 14% above what he achieved in the first contest in 2017.
"However, we know from polling conducted during the campaign that, when voters were asked how they would vote in a general election, the reported support for the Conservatives was 21% below what was recorded for Houchen.
"This is not therefore a reliable guide to the Conservatives' prospects in the general election in the area. Rather, as the result Houchen achieved in 2021 testifies, this is a consequence of his personal popularity."
Polling supremo Professor Sir John Curtice said the Tees Valley result was a "silver lining" for the Tories on an otherwise "very cloudy electoral night".
But he argued that much of the result was down to Ben Houchen's personal popularity.
Writing for the BBC, he said: "Although Houchen's vote has fallen by 19% since 2021, his performance is still 14% above what he achieved in the first contest in 2017.
"However, we know from polling conducted during the campaign that, when voters were asked how they would vote in a general election, the reported support for the Conservatives was 21% below what was recorded for Houchen.
"This is not therefore a reliable guide to the Conservatives' prospects in the general election in the area. Rather, as the result Houchen achieved in 2021 testifies, this is a consequence of his personal popularity."
Tory incumbent Ben Houchen has been confirmed as the winner in the Tees Valley mayoral race but with a much reduced majority.
In a critical contest, Lord Houchen won 53.6% of the vote, with Labour's Chris McEwan on 41.3%. In 2021, Lord Houchen won with a whopping 73%.
While Labour had been hoping to challenge him for the mayoralty, the party will be encouraged by the 16.7% swing.
Mr Houchen didn't appear to be wearing a Tory rosette during his victory speech – in a sign he's distanced himself from the national party.
A Labour spokeswoman said: “This is swing towards Labour in Tees Valley puts Labour on track to win every single seat in the area in a general election.
"The Conservatives should be extremely worried that their candidate had to run as an independent to win. If Rishi Sunak doesn’t take this result as a major wake up call he is in denial.”
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