Pro IQRA News Updates.
Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party are poised for heavy losses as results come in for local elections across England, with both Labor and the Liberal Democrats making gains in what a senior Tory MP described as a “terrible” night for his party.
The contests in England’s 230 local authorities represent Rishi Sunak’s first major electoral test since becoming prime minister and the results so far are agonizing.
Labor took control of Plymouth, where the Tories were running a minority administration, then did the same in Stoke-on-Trent, Hartlepool and Worcester all general election battlegrounds.
Keir Starmer’s party has gained Medway Council in Kent from Conservative control for the first time since 1998.
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The Conservatives also lost control of the borough royals of Windsor, Maidenhead, Brentford and north-west Leicestershire as voters punished Rishi Sunak’s party.
The party also lost control of Herzmeir where Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, with 13 members of the House voting. The Labors got seven and the Liberals got six.
As of 9.11am, with results announced from 62 of the 230 councils, the Conservatives have lost 228 seats, Labor 119 and the Liberal Democrats 61.
The Green Party won 33 seats, while the number of independents increased by 22 seats.
According to Shabana Mahmood, National Campaign Coordinator for the Labor Party, the results of the local elections show that the Labor Party is on course to win a majority in the upcoming national elections.
She said: “These results show that we are on our way to a Labor majority government.
We spent the entire campaign talking about Labour’s plan to tackle the Tory cost-of-living crisis which is the number one issue for voters. Rishi Sunak can’t talk about it because the conservatives have wrecked the economy and don’t know how to fix it. Tonight was a disaster for Rishi Sunak as voters punished him for the failure of the Conservative Party.”
Speaking outside the Conservative Party headquarters this morning, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he intended to continue to “carry out the people’s priorities” as he responded to the results of the local elections.
He said: “It’s always disappointing to lose hard-working board members…but in terms of results it’s still early days. We just got a quarter of the results in.”
But what I will continue to do is fulfill people’s priorities: cut inflation in half, grow the economy, reduce debt, reduce waiting lists, and stop the boats. That’s what people want us to do.”
The incumbent Conservative cabinet member said the results of the local election had so far been “terrible” for his party.
Asked what might change in the aftermath of the Conservatives’ painful results, Mr Sunak told broadcasters: “We’ve only got a quarter of the results. In fact we’re making progress on key election battlegrounds… But the message I’m hearing from people tonight is that they want us to We focus on their priorities and they want us to give it to them.”
Johnny Mercer, the Minister for Veterans Affairs and the MP for Plymouth, was speaking after his party lost control of Plymouth Council to Labour.
Tell BBC News: “It’s been a really horrible night for us here in Plymouth. I think there were a number of factors at play. I think, domestically, it’s been very difficult. The Tories group here have had a very difficult time. We’ve seen that reflected on the doors, in the campaign and we’ve seen That reflects in the results tonight but you know, we take it upon ourselves.”
Asked if he wanted the prime minister to “step things up”, Mercer said: “I’ve been in and out of government, I’ve been in and out of different prime ministers. Rishi Sunak is a different class. He’s capable, intelligent, professional, empathetic, a strong leader and the kind of strong leader this needs.” state at this time.
“It’s up to people like me and others to stand up for him,” he added.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has hailed a series of “groundbreaking victories” that “show people are sick to the teeth of this backroom government”.
Commenting on the early local election results, Davey said: “This is a groundbreaking night for the Lib Dems. We are exceeding all expectations. We have dealt the Conservative Party a huge blow in the blue wall ahead of next year’s general election.”
“We are making progress across the country – including in the heart of the blue wall, where we are confident of taking control of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
“From Bath to Brentwood, more and more communities are choosing the Liberal Democrats as their local heroes. The message from voters is clear: They are sick to the teeth of Rishi Sunak and his out-of-touch Conservative government. In this election, it is the Liberal Democrats who defeat the Conservatives and deliver the fair deal the people deserve. “.
Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands said the Conservatives were “disappointed with the outcome of Windsor and Maidenhead”, where the Liberal Democrats had made progress, but insisted the overall picture across the country was not “all inclusive”.
Turning to Labour’s gains, Hands said: “In 1995 before Tony Blair’s Labor got 1,600 seats, the Conservatives lost 1,900. I don’t think we’re seeing anything like that.”
He added that it was not “a uniformly good picture for the Labor Party” as he dismissed the opposition’s claim that Sir Keir Starmer was on his way to winning power in the next general election.
He challenged the Conservatives to lose Stoke-on-Trent to Labour, he said Radio TimesStoke is a low for Labour to get back, of course we are disappointed…but Labor are kidding themselves, they should win the right way across the country, but the Tories are gaining seats in Peterborough, Sandwell, Bassetlaw, Harlow.
“These are all the seats Labor last held when it was in government.”
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