Significant wins on the Left whilst Prime Minister "disappointed" with results so far
Results of the 2023 local elections across England are rolling in, as Labour are optimistic for their “best result since 1997”, whilst the Prime Minster has declared the votes for his party so far are “disappointing”.
There are 8,000 council seats up for grabs in the local elections, with around 70% of the English electorate invited to vote, which will offer an indication of voting intentions for the upcoming general election.
With Labour’s campaign co-ordinator announcing the party is on course for a majority Labour government at the next election, whilst Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey calling the results so far ‘ground breaking’.
Labour gains
So far Labour have seen more than 700 councillors elected as of this morning, up by over 130, according to the BBCs rolling coverage.
Historic day in Medway – Labour won a huge victory in Medway, Kent after Labour councillor Vince Maple was elected for the first time since the creation of the unitary authority, and after more than 20 years of Tory representation.
Plymouth breakthrough – New council leader Tudor Evans claimed news broadcasters hadn’t reflected “just how seismic” the result in Plymouth was, with Labour winning 15 seats, gaining some 44% of the vote from the Tories – deemed the “best results since 1995”.
Stoke-on-Trent victory – Labour took back this former Labour stronghold, which was lost to the Tories in the 2019 general election. The party declared it a “stunning” victory in a key target council.
Greens blast Tory majority
In an unprecedented result, the Green Party picked up 15 new councillors in East Hertfordshire council which took them up to 17 councillors. This has removed the Tory majority in the council, which was 40/50 until today.
It tells of a politically transformed council, which had been run with a Tory majority for almost the entirety of the last 50 years, and a story of Greens picking up in Tory leaning areas where Conservative support has dwindled.
The party also just made history by winning a majority on Mid Suffolk Council, the first time the Greens have ever had a majority control in a council in the UK.
Liberal Democrats “fantastic night”
Ed Davey declared it a “fantastic night” for his party and that the local election results set their party up “really well” for the general election.
Most significantly, the party gained control of Windsor and Maidenhead councils from the Conservatives, with the 22-year old Lib Dem candidate George Blundell seeing the Tory party lose overall control of the local authority. They took control of the council with 22 out of 41 seats.
The party are hoping to gain more seats in traditional Tory heartlands like Oxfordshire, with the bulk of its target areas still to count.
Independent lead
Former Portsmouth Labour leader Cal Corkery, who was expelled from the Labour party, has been re-elected as an independent candidate in his Charles Dickens ward with a 37% majority.
Cal has represented his ward for four years’, however he was expelled from the Labour party in January due to a Facebook post in 2016 on the Portsmouth Socialist Appeal page.
Stats for Lefties said the swing here was “astonishing” as it has seen Labour’s vote decrease to 32%, from 46% in 2021, due to an expelled candidate taking the vote.
Results will continue to come in throughout the day, with final results expected at 8pm in York.
(Photo credit: Twitter screen grab)
Hannah Davenport is trade union reporter at Left Foot Forward
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