Local elections results – live: Labour win in West Midlands and London as Sunak facing fresh rebellion
Labour’s Sadiq Khan secures third term as Mayor of London, beating Conservative Susan Hall
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Rishi Sunak is facing fresh Conservative unrest after Labour claimed victory in the West Midlands mayoral election, beating Andy Street in a tight race.
The newly elected mayor, Richard Parker, secured a majority against his Conservative opponent who has served two terms and held office since 2017.
The result is the latest in a string of Labour mayoral and council wins nationwide as the Conservatives suffered historic blows. “I don’t think he’s out of the woods,” a former minister told the Financial Times, referring to Mr Sunak’s position.
Meanwhile, Labour’s Sadiq Khan secured a third term as Mayor of London beating Conservative Susan Hall.
Mr Sunak also suffered terrible losses in council elections as the Conservatives lost more than 400 councillors and control of ten councils.
State of play
Total no of councils - Lab 50 (+8) | Lib Dem: 12 (+ 2)| Con: 6 (-10) | Ind & Others: 1 (+1) | Greens: 0 | NOC: 36 (-1)
Councillors - Lab 1,140 (+185) | Lib Dem: 521 (+104) | Con: 513 (-473) | Ind & Others: 228 (+93) | Green: 181 (+74) | RA 48 (+11) | Workers Party of Britain 4 (+4) | Reform 2 (+2)
Coventry results declared in West Midlands mayoral race
Labour candidate Richard Parker got 32,704 votes in Coventry, with Tory hopeful Andy Street on 23,237 – leaving the incumbent West Midlands Mayor ahead by more than 11,400, with Sandwell the only council yet to declare.
Count Binface reacts to beating Britain First’s candidate
London mayoral hopeful Count Binface said “down with fascism, up with Ceefax” after discovering he had beaten Britain First’s candidate Nick Scanlon.
He told reporters at City Hall: “It looks like I have defeated Britain First in an election.
“Come on, you have to cheer about that…down with fascism, up with Ceefax, what can I say?”
More West Midlands mayoral results:
Andy Street pulled in 37,345 votes in the Dudley borough, compared to 24,807 votes for Labour’s West Midlands mayor candidate Richard Parker.
With results in Coventry and Sandwell yet to be declared, Conservative candidate Mr Street has a lead over Mr Parker of around 20,900.
Labour won heavily in both Coventry and Sandwell in this week’s two-candidate Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
Labour win Birmingham city in West Midlands mayoral vote
Labour’s West Midlands mayor candidate Richard Parker polled almost 14,000 votes more than Andy Street in the Birmingham City Council area.
Mr Parker received 80,251 votes in the city, followed by Mr Street (66,296) and a strong showing of 40,923 votes for independent candidate Akhmed Yakoob.
In Walsall, Mr Street polled 24,735 votes, Mr Parker 18,097 and Mr Yakoob 8,451.
Watch: Moment Britain First London mayoral candidate interrupts Sadiq Khan’s victory speech
This was the moment that Britain First’s mayoral candidate Nick Scanlon interrupted newly re-elected mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s victory speech after winning a historic third term.
‘Khan killed London’ the candidate shouted while walking around the stage behind the mayor, who won 43.8% of all votes cast, before being warned that security would remove people who disrupted the speeches.
Mr. Khan secured just over 1,088,000 votes to be re-elected London Mayor, followed by his conservative rival Susan Hall, who secured just under 813,000 votes.
Hebe Campbell reports:
Moment Britain First London mayoral candidate interrupts Sadiq Khan’s victory speech
This was the moment that Britain First’s mayoral candidate Nick Scanlon interrupted newly re-elected mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s victory speech after winning a historic third term. ‘Khan killed London’ the candidate shouted while walking around the stage behind the mayor, who won 43.8% of all votes cast, before being warned that security would remove people who disrupted the speeches. Mr. Khan secured just over 1,088,000 votes to be re-elected London Mayor, followed by his conservative rival Susan Hall, who secured just under 813,000 votes.
Susan Hall says Sadiq Khan should stop ‘patronising’ people who care about London
Susan Hall has said Sadiq Khan should stop “patronising” people who care about London.
Speaking at City Hall after the election results came in, she said: “I’d like to congratulate all my fellow mayoral candidates and congratulate Sadiq on his victory.
“Spending a year campaigning for this election has been an honour and a privilege. I have loved speaking to Londoners about the things that matter to them.
“The thing that matters the most, and to me, is reforming the Met and making London safe again. I hope Sadiq makes this his top priority.
“He owes it to the families of those thousands of people who have lost lives to knife crime under his mayoralty.
“And I hope too that he stops patronising people, like me, who care. This isn’t an episode of The Wire, this is real life on his watch.”
Sadiq Khan ‘proud’ to have gained increased margin for third-term
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was proud after gaining an increased margin of victory in his record third-term.
Speaking at City Hall, Sadiq Khan said: “We faced a campaign of non-stop negativity, but I couldn’t be more proud that we answered the fearmongering with facts, hate with hope, and attempts to divide with efforts to unite.
“We ran a campaign that was in keeping with the spirit and values of this great city, a city that regards our diversity not as a weakness, but as an almighty strength – and one that rejects right hard-wing populism and looks forward, not back.
“It’s truly an honour to be re-elected for a third term, and do so with a record level of support from Londoners, with an increased margin of victory.”
Khan thanks family for support
Sadiq Khan thanked his family for their support, but apologised for them facing “protests by our home” and “threats” after securing a third term as Mayor of London.
Mr Khan said: “A special thank you goes to my mum, everything she’s done for me. I love you. And to my amazing wife, Saadiya, and our daughters Anisah and Ammarah, for their strength and support throughout all these years.
“I know there have been times when this job has taken a toll on you. But that’s not right, or fair.
“Some of the stuff on social media, the protests by our home, the threats. It’s upsetting, it’s frightening and it’s wrong. I’m truly sorry for putting you through this.
“But I also know, you share my belief as hard as it can be sometimes, this work is worth doing because it means being able to give to other families the same life-changing opportunities that this wonderful city has extended to ours. I love you all so much.”
Sadiq Khan’s re-election speech disrupted by Britain First candidate
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was interrupted by the Britain First London mayoral candidate as he took to the stage after his re-election was announced.
Speaking at City Hall on Saturday afternoon, Mr Khan said: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you London.”
At that point, a Nick Scanlon walked across the stage and chanted “Khan killed London” while boos came from the crowd.
The crowd was warned that security would remove people who disrupt the speeches.
Recount ordered at Coventry for West Midlands mayoral election
A full recount of votes has been ordered at the Coventry count for the West Midlands mayoral election.
Electoral officials at the Birmingham count estimated that the Coventry recount would take around two hours to complete.
The race between Conservative candidate Andy Street - who has held office as Mayor since 2017 - and Labour’s Richard Parker is said to be close.
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