Labour victories show nation ‘wants to turn the page and move on’, Starmer says
Sir Keir Starmer has hailed Labour’s success in the local elections after the Conservatives lost two crucial seats in the mayoral races.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan was re-elected for a historic third term on Saturday while Richard Parker scooped the title of Mayor of the West Midlands from Conservative Andy Street by just 1,508 votes.
The leader of the opposition described Labour’s knife-edge win the West Midlands as a “phenomenal result was beyond our expectations”, adding that Mr Parker would deliver a “fresh start” for region.
The Conservative losses were branded “disappointing” by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but he insisted the country was “turning a corner” and that his party’s plan “is working”.
However Sir Keir said the results indicate the country is looking for a change.
During a celebration of his party’s success at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham after the declaration, Sir Keir said: “The big story of all these elections is a nation that is desperate to turn the page and move on.
“This is my message to the Prime Minister and to the government: So many people have had enough of 14 years of decline that has cost them, their families and their communities.
“They’re fed up with the chaos, and the division, and the non-delivery and they want to turn the page, turn their back on that decline, and usher in national renewal with Labour – a Labour Party with a plan to bring the country together, with a plan to deliver on our health services, our infrastructure, our public services, take our streets back and have a plan for the future of Britain.
“So the message out of these elections, the last stop before we go into that general election, is a country wants change. I hope the Prime Minister is listening and gives the opportunity to the country to vote as a whole in a general election as soon as possible.”
Labour lost some seats in some councils to independent candidates and George Galloway’s Worker’s Party of Britain over its approach to the war between Israel and Palestine.
But the party trounced the Conservatives in England’s mayoral elections, winning contests in Liverpool, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
This was despite a move to a first-past-the-post system of voting in all mayoral elections which critics said would favour the Conservatives.
The Conservatives meanwhile lost more than 470 councillors across England, nearly half of the seats they held before this round of local elections, with the Liberal Democrats beating the Tories into third place in terms of councillors won.
Lord Ben Houchen was the only Conservative elected in the race, where he was re-elected in his role in Tees Valley.
Mr Street meanwhile warned the party not to drift to the right and that “winning from the centre ground is what happens”.
He told Sky News: “The thing everyone should take from Birmingham and the West Midlands tonight is this brand of moderative, inclusive, tolerant conservatism, that gets on and delivered, has come within an ace of beating the Labour Party in what they considered to be their backyard – that’s the message from here tonight.”
Following Saturday’s losses, Mr Sunak said: “It’s been disappointing of course to lose dedicated Conservative councillors and Andy Street in the West Midlands, with his track record of providing great public services and attracting significant investment to the area, but that has redoubled my resolve to continue to make progress on our plan.”
