London’s Labour mayor, Sadiq Khan, secured a record third term on Saturday, May 4, dealing a blow to the Conservatives with their worst local election results in recent memory.
Khan, 53, defeated Tory challenger Susan Hall, dashing Conservative hopes of winning the UK capital away from Labour. As the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital, Khan’s victory was widely expected given Labour’s national surge and the Conservatives’ decline in the polls.
The defeat in London adds to a dismal set of results for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with the Tories finishing third in local council tallies across England, losing nearly 500 seats. Labour made significant gains, winning mayoral races in Manchester, Liverpool, Yorkshire, and elsewhere.
In the West Midlands, where Tory incumbent Andy Street is seeking a third term, votes were being recounted and too close to call. An unexpected Tory defeat there could leave Sunak with only one notable success: its mayor winning a third term in Tees Valley, northeast England, albeit with a reduced majority.
Voters frustrated
Writing in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph, Sunak acknowledged that “voters are frustrated” but maintained that “Labour is not winning in places they admit they need for a majority.” Sunak emphasized the need for Conservatives to fight on.
Labour, out of power since 2010, managed to snatch a parliamentary seat from the Conservatives and made a strong case for a national vote after winning the Blackpool South constituency and other key successes.
‘Let’s turn the page on decline and usher in national renewal with Labour,’ said party leader Keir Starmer to supporters in the East Midlands, where Labour won the mayoral race.
Sunak is expected to order a general election by January 28 next year at the latest, with plans for a poll in the second half of 2024. Labour has consistently led in the polls during Sunak’s tenure, as Tory scandals, a cost-of-living crisis, and other issues have weakened the ruling party’s position.
With almost all results in by Saturday afternoon, the Tories lost nearly half of the 1,000 council seats they were defending, finishing third behind the Liberal Democrats.