- Greens and Lib Dems make gains
- Reform just points away in Blackpool By-election from Conservatives
- Women’s Equality Party win first seat ever in Basildon
- Reform, Greens, Labour, Plaid Cymru and Lib dems all increase vote share against Conservatives
- Conservatives have retained Tee Valley mayor (Key battleground with Labour)
- Conservatives have lost 3 councils and set to lose nearly 400 seats
- Labour capitalises over loss in support for Conservatives]
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has renewed his demand for Rishi Sunak to go to the polls after the prime minister suffered a by-election drubbing and bruising council losses across England.
The opposition have also boasted of winning in the Tory leader’s “backyard” winning the contest for York and North Yorkshire mayor, which includes his Richmond constituency.
But while Mr Sunak said the the grim early results were “disappointing” for the Conservatives, he insisted he was “focused completely on the job at hand” and seized on the party holding the Tees Valley mayoralty.
Sky News elections analyst Professor Michael Thrasher has warned the Conservatives could be on course for one of their worst-ever performances.
Buoyed by council gains in key battleground areas like Hartlepool, Rushmoor in Hampshire, Redditch in the West Midlands and Thurrock in Essex, Sir Keir declared the “seismic win” for Labour in the Blackpool South by-election “a direct message to the prime minister”.
Chris Webb took the Lancashire seat with the third biggest swing from the Conservatives to Labour at a by-election since the Second World War.
Sir Keir told Sky News: “There’s no denying the mood of the country now is for change. And I think it’s for the prime minister to allow the country to express that change now in a general election.”
The Conservatives only narrowly avoided being pushed into third place by Reform UK in the Blackpool South by-election.
Tory bosses argue the poll took place in “particularly difficult” circumstances following the resignation of former Tory MP Scott Benton after a lobbying scandal.
Speaking at a military base in North Yorkshire, Mr Sunak said: “Obviously it’s disappointing to lose good, hard-working Conservative councillors and I’m grateful to them for all their service in local government, keeping council tax low and delivering services for local people.”
He also stressed there were “lots of results to come”.
One of those was the Tees Valley mayoral contest, which saw Tory incumbent Ben Houchen re-elected in the face of a concerted Labour challenge.
The Conservative peer held the role with a majority of 18,789 votes.
Mr Sunak was quick to hail the victory and send his congratulations.
He wrote in a social media post: “Tees Valley want us to stick with the plan that’s working… Excited for Ben to keep delivering more jobs and opportunities for local people.”
Tory high command will hope it is enough to calm rumblings among restive MPs, particularly if Conservative Andy Street can hold the West Midlands.
However, the strong showing by Reform at the expense of the Conservatives is likely to fuel unease.
Tory party chairman Richard Holden told Sky News: “There’s no doubt votes for Reform will help Labour in a general election scenario.”
Key results include:
- Labour won Rushmoor in Hampshire - the home of the British Army - for the first time
- The party also claimed the council in general election bellwether Redditch
- Labour took Hartlepool council, regaining ground after a Westminster by-election disaster there in 2021
- Labour also won Thurrock, one of its top targets
- The Tories clung on by a single seat in Harlow, Essex - a council targeted by Sir Keir on the eve of polling
- Labour lost control in Oldham, which has a large Muslim population, amid anger over the party’s stance on Gaza
- Labour retained control of Blackburn with Darwen, but lost four seats
- In Cumbria, a Labour police and crime commissioner was elected, at the expense of the Tories
- Labour also beat the Conservatives in the police and crime commissioner race in Avon and Somerset