Boris Johnson concedes the Conservatives had a “difficult night” after Labour won important London councils and the Lib Dems won Somerset
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British politician serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2019. He was Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2016 to 2018 and Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016.
The Conservative Party of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered some significant losses in local elections on Friday, with Labor winning some of the traditional Tory strongholds in London. After winning the London councils of Westminster, Wandsworth, and Barnet, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer declared the party had achieved a “turning point” and was “back on track” to win the next General Election.
“We’ve had a rough night in some parts of the country, but on the other side, you’re still seeing Conservatives marching forward and making pretty spectacular gains,” the prime minister added. After losing Wandsworth, Margaret Thatcher’s “favorite council,” Westminster, and Barnet to Labor, he stated the local election results were “definitely mixed.”
Labor’s gains throughout the rest of England, on the other hand, were more modest. The announcement on Friday that party leader Sir Keir Starmer will be probed by Durham police for “beer gate,” the allegation that he broke lockdown rules while drinking with colleagues in April last year, shook the party.
Conservative leaders were blaming the prime minister for shock losses as partygate and the cost of living dominated comments at the doorstep.
Lib Dems take Hull from Labor
Mr Johnson’s party had a modest majority in Southampton before the previous set of local elections, so Labour will be thrilled to have won it back. Sir Keir’s party also won the new Cumberland authority, a notable victory given that the area now has three Conservative MPs in Carlisle, Copeland, and Workington. However, the Liberal Democrats won Kingston-upon-Hull, a significant loss for Labour.
Many of the so-called red wall councils have yet to make an announcement.
“A true image is forming across the country, particularly in Conservative-held areas, that the Lib Dems are the real competitors,” he said. Meanwhile, results are still coming in, and by Friday evening, all seats in England, Scotland, and Wales should be announced. The results of Northern Ireland’s devolved assembly election for 90 members are due on Saturday.
