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UK's opposition Labour inflicts heavy losses on ruling Conservatives in local elections

Friday, 03 May 2024 11:15 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 03 May 2024 11:15 AM ]

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer (C) and Labour Party MP for Blackpool South Chris Webb (R) meet after the opposition won a parliamentary by-election in Blackpool, Britain, on May 3, 2024. (Photo by Reuters)

Britain's opposition Labour Party has inflicted heavy losses on the ruling Conservatives and piled more pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak by winning a parliamentary seat in northern England and gaining control of several local councils ahead of the looming UK general election.

Millions of voters in England and Wales cast their ballots on Thursday for more than 2,000 seats on local authorities and a handful of high-profile mayoral elections, including in the capital, London.

Blackpool South was the only parliamentary seat up for grabs after a Conservative lawmaker quit over a lobbying scandal.

Labour candidate Chris Webb won the Blackpool election with 10,825 votes and the Conservative candidate came in second with 3,218, boosting the opposition party's hopes for a sweeping victory over Sunak's Tories in the forthcoming national election and returning to power after 14 years.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said its candidate's win in Blackpool South in northwest England sent a clear message to Sunak, who has until January next year at the latest to call polls.

"That wasn't just a little message, that wasn't just a murmur. That was a shout from Blackpool, 'we want change'," he said on a visit to congratulate Webb.

"Blackpool speaks for the whole country in saying, 'we have had enough now, after 14 years of failure, 14 years of decline, we want to turn the page and start afresh with Labour'."

British media said all eyes were on key regional and London mayoral races, the outcomes of which are only expected later Friday and Saturday.

The early results provide more evidence that Labour is likely to form the next government with Starmer becoming the next prime minister.

Speculation is rife in the UK parliament at Westminster that a bad showing may lead some restive Tory lawmakers to try to replace Sunak, who has been in charge since October 2022.

Conservative MPs ousted Sunak's predecessors, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, and the party has had five prime ministers since the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union.

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