FEELING BLUE
Local election results 2023: Labour make Red Wall gains – but will be ‘disappointed’ at falling short of breakthrough
LOCAL election results have today seen Labour make Red Wall gains - but they will be "disappointed" at just falling short of a breakthrough.
Polling expert Sir John Curtice predicted the Labour party success would still not be enough to win a majority at next year's general election.
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Speaking to the BBC, he said the lead was not a total victory as it hasn't been "any more successful" than last year.
He said: "Although Labour have met the minimum threshold they set themselves, the party will be disappointed that it has not been any more successful this year than last."
It comes after Labour won the majority of seats while the Conservative party suffered huge losses.
Conservative Party Chairman Greg Hands described the polls as "disappointing" but insisted he'd expected to lose 1,000 council seats.
Earlier, the Tories lost control of 25 councils, while rival Labour has taken 10.
In an email to party members this afternoon, Mr Hands said: "I know the results are disappointing.
"I know people are worried about what Labour councils will mean for their local communities.
"These local elections are a massive wake-up call. If you want to stop Keir Starmer, then we have to come together now."
Outside Tory HQ this morning, a deflated-looking Rishi Sunak admitted "it's always disappointing to lose hard working Conservative councillors".
He said it's "still early" to make sweeping judgements and he will carry on "delivering the people's priorities".
"We're making progress in key election battlegrounds," Mr Sunak told reporters.
"The message I'm hearing from people is that they want us to focus on our priorities and they want us to deliver for them."
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At a victory rally in Kent, Sir Keir Starmer insisted his party is on course to win the next general election.
"You didn't just get it over the line, you blew the doors off," he told cheering activists.
"We're having fantastic results across the country. Make no mistake, we are on course for a Labour majority at the next general election."
Despite loud noises , prominent pollsters have pointed out Labour's gains aren't quite the breakthrough Sir Keir is making them out to be.
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Election Analyst Professor Michael Thrasher told Sky News that projections show Labour is on track to be the largest party in Westminster, but falling short of an outright majority.
Polling guru Sir John has projected that if all Brits voted today in a general election, based on today's results Labour would be the largest party on 35%.
The Tories would gain a 26% vote share followed by the Lib Dems on 20% and others on 19%.
Results are now in from 114 of the 230 town halls where elections were held.
The Tories have already lost control of 26 councils, while Labour has gained ten and the Lib Dems four.
A total of 463 Conservative councillors have been booted out of their town hall, with Labour adding 258 and the Lib Dems 145 to the mix.
Tory Losses
Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party are on course to suffer heavy losses at the local elections as Labour and the Lib Dems make significant gains.
- So far Tories have lost control of nine councils.
- Tories lost control of the royal borough of Windsor and Maidenhead as the Liberal Democrats made inroads.
- In Brentwood, Essex, the Tories lost two seats to the Lib Dems, meaning they no longer has a majority in the council chamber.
- The Conservative Party have also lost their majorities in Hertsmere and North West Leicestershire.
- The Tories also lost Tamworth to no overall control after losing five seats, with Labour gaining seven.
- They have also lost control of Boston to Independent control after surrendering 10 seats in the Lincolnshire town.
- East Lindsay has been lost to no overall control
- Stratford on Avon, the constituency seat of ex-Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, has been lost to the Lib Dems
- The Tories have lost Dover to Labour - a council held by the party since 2007
In Essex, the Conservatives lost control of Brentwood after losing three seats on the council.
And in a major blow to the Red Wall, the party lost control of Stoke-on-Trent.
Tory MP Jonathan Gullis said councillors in the area "suffered because at the end of 2022, the Conservative Party as a brand was certainly damaged".
The Conservatives also lost Tamworth, Bracknell Forrest and Broxtowe.
And in a huge blow to the party, key battlegrounds of East Staffordshire, Dover and Swindon fell to Labour too.
But the Tories were able to take Torbay Council in Devon from the Lib Dems.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems were able to grab Stratford on Avon, the current seat of ex-Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, from the Tories.
In the key seat of Plymouth, Labour also took over from the Tories.
Local MP and Cabinet Minister Jonny Mercer decried the result as "terrible".
He said: ";I think, locally, it has been very difficult.
"We have seen that reflected on the doors, in the campaign and we have seen that reflected in the results tonight but you know, we take it on the chin."
In Medway, Labour gained council control from the Tories for the first time in 25 years.
Yesterday's locals were the final poll before next year’s general election showdown.
It was also the first time new rules requiring voters to present their ID came into force.
Today's results form a genuine barometer of the public mood towards both the Tories and Labour.
Labour gains
Early results in local elections in England have seen Labour and the Liberal Democrats gain council seats at the expense of the Conservatives.
- The first gain of a council went to Labour, who took control in Plymouth, where no party previously had a majority.
- Key "Red Wall" city Stoke-on-Trent was also won by Labour.
- Labour has taken overall control of Medway Council for the first time since 1998 after winning 30 of its 59 seats.
- Bolton will remain no overall control, but Labour will become the biggest party after winning 26 of of the 60 seats, with three still to declare.
- Labour has taken over the Middlesborough mayoralty from the Tories
- Labour gained control of East Staffordshire Council from the Tories
- In a major blow to the Tories, Labour gained control of Swindon council
- Labour gained control of North East Derbyshire
- Labour gained control of Blackpool
- Labour gained control of Broxtowe
- Labour gained control of Bracknell Forrest
Shabana Mahmood, Labour's national campaign co-ordinator, insisted her party is on course to be victorious against Mr Sunak next year in the national polls.
"This is a strong set of results we're seeing for the Labour Party," she said.
"It shows that we're on course for a majority Labour government."
Meanwhile, jubilant Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey described today's results as "groundbreaking".
"We are exceeding all expectations," he boasted.
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"We have delivered a hammer blow to the Conservative Party in the Blue Wall ahead of next year's general election.
"The Blue Wall that we've been banging against has really crumbled and the Liberal Democrats, yes we really do have a smile on our faces."
Tory MPs lock heads over reasons for local election losses
A row is brewing among Tory MPs over the reasons so many of their councillors lost their jobs today.
One big argument is over housing - with MPs split between NIMBYism and pro-development approaches.
Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst claimed: "We lost because we were asked to build more homes."
Meanwhile, Senior Tory and MP for Broxbourne, Charles Walker, told Times Radio: "If the Conservatives don't build homes for young people... if we go down that path, we won't like what we find at the end of it.
"If we aren't the housebuilding party, I don't know what we are, quite frankly."
Other Tories blamed poor results on the current tax burden and called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to get a move on with long-awaited cuts.
Sir John Redwood said: “If the PM wants to win back lost Conservative voters he should try offering some Conservative policies. Cut taxes, get better value for state spending and go for growth.”
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He was echoed by MP Craig Mackinlay, who told The Telegraph: The problem is we have not given our core any great enthusiasm or reason to vote for us.
"We've not enthused our base as to why we should be voting for us. Our core vote has not felt enthused enough and I'm afraid that is down to our policies, the high tax and this lack of imagination and timidity."
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