UK

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailTory mayor Andy Street has been defeated in the crucial battle for the West Midlands in a result that has left Rishi Sunak’s premiership hanging by a thread.The shock defeat follows a difficult campaign for the Tories amid narrowing polls and party turmoil with increasing questions over the prime minister’s leadership and Labour left to boast that the victory in the West Midlands will herald a “wipeout” of Tory MPs in the general election.Mr Street was defeated by a margin of just 1,508 votes to Labour’s Richard Parker – 225,590 to 224,082 – but his defeat by less than 2,000 votes has had repercussions for his party across the country.A Tory MP messaged The Independent with one word: “Catastrophe!”A Labour source admitted that their own early predictions that Mr Street had just held on to the key region had proven to be wrong. The source said: “Even if we ran them very close it’s an almost certain wipeout for the Tories at the general election.”The Tory West Midland’s mayor has been defeated More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSadiq Khan has been re-elected for a historic third term as the Mayor of London. Mr Khan secured his third term in office with just over 1,088,000 votes, a majority of some 275,000 over Conservative rival Susan Hall, who secured just under 813,000 votes. This means that the Labour politician received 43.8 per cent of the voter share to Ms Hall’s 32.7 per cent. Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer had signalled he was confident of Mr Khan’s victory before declarations commenced, as he counted mayoral victories for his party in Liverpool, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and in Greater Manchester where Andy Burnham returned to power.Murmurs on Friday evening suggested the result may be closer than initially thought, as Mr Khan’s majority was expected to be hit by dissatisfaction with the Ulez low-pollution scheme and the Labour party’s stance on Gaza.Yet Mr Khan has achieved a higher majority than in 2021, equating to a 3.2 per cent swing from Conservative to Labour.The Tory candidate’s campaign had also been mired by controversy amid allegations of islamophobia.Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting provoked ire when he said that a win for Ms Hall and the Conservatives is “a win for racists, white supremacists and Islamophobes the world over.”The result follows a difficult campaign for both Labour and the Conservatives More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour’s Sadiq Khan has been re-elected for a historic third term as Mayor of London. The result follows what has been a long and fractious campaign filled with blunders and accusations of islamophobia and racism.Labour’s Sadiq Khan secured just over 1,088,000 (43.8%) votes to be re-elected London Mayor, a majority of some 275,000 over Conservative rival Susan Hall, who secured just under 813,000 (32.7%) votes.Here are the results for each constituency in full:Merton and Wandsworth Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 2,018 votes Count Binface – 1,889 votesRob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 13,153 votes Natalie Campbell – 3,439 votesHoward Cox, Reform UK – 4,495 votesAmy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 2,192 votesZoe Garbett, The Green Party – 9,646 votes Tarun Ghulati – 1,030 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 50,976 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 84,725 votes Andreas Michli – 1,359 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 376 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 961 votesWINNER: Sadiq Khan, Labour PartyGreenwich And LewishamFemy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 1,915 votes Count Binface – 1,706 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 7,713 votes Natalie Campbell – 3,502 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 5,716 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 2,813 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 11,209 votes Tarun Ghulati – 1,033 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 36,822 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 83,792 votes Andreas Michli – 1,610 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 507 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 2,092 votesWINNER: Sadiq Khan, Labour PartyNorth East (Hackney, Islington, Waltham Forest)Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 2,134 votes Count Binface – 1,929 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 7,399 votes Natalie Campbell – 3,804 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 4,485 votesAmy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 2,423 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 17,907 votes Tarun Ghulati – 922 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 34,099 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 127,455 votes Andreas Michli – 2,087 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 955 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 1,095 votes WINNER: Sadiq Khan, Labour PartySouth West (Hounslow, Kingston Upon Thames, Richmond Upon Thames)Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 2,640 votes Count Binface – 2,304 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 25,579 votes Natalie Campbell – 3,202 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 6,634 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 2,771 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 10,132 votes Tarun Ghulati – 2,436 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 68,856 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 77,011 votes Andreas Michli – 1,669 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 528 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 1,600 votes WINNER: Sadiq Khan, Labour PartyWest Central (Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster)Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 1,386 votes Count Binface – 1,260 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 7,663 votes Natalie Campbell – 2,552 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 3,478 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 1,442 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 5,984 votes Tarun Ghulati – 1,100 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 43,405 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 54,481 votes Andreas Michli – 901 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 350 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 964 votesWINNER: Sadiq Khan, Labour PartyEnfield and Haringey Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 2,082 votes Count Binface – 1,471 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 7,947 votes Natalie Campbell – 3,056 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 4,969 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 2,495 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 11,799 votes Tarun Ghulati – 1,032 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 41,389 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 82,725 votes Andreas Michli – 3,963 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 579 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 1,019 votes WINNER: Sadiq Khan, Labour PartyBexley and Bromley Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 1,899 votes Count Binface – 1,827 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 10,111 votes Natalie Campbell – 2,727 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 9,243 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 3,710 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 8,600 votes Tarun Ghulati – 1,194 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 111,216 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 48,952 votes Andreas Michli – 1,513 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 342 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 2,174 votes WINNER: Susan Hall, Conservative PartyBrent and HarrowFemy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 2,158 votes Count Binface – 1,265 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 7,184 votes Natalie Campbell – 4,512 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 3,636 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 1,702 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 6,984 votes Tarun Ghulati – 2,933 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 66,151 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 58,743 votes Andreas Michli – 1,349 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 486 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 982 votes WINNER: Susan Hall, Conservative PartyEaling and Hillingdon Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 2,809 votes Count Binface – 1,997 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 10,124 votes Natalie Campbell – 3,587 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 6,983 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 2,643 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 10,508 votes Tarun Ghulati – 2,659 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 75,396 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 73,257 votes Andreas Michli – 1,919 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 542 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 1,761 votes WINNER: Susan Hall, Conservative PartyCity and East (Barking and Dagenham, City of London, Newham, Tower Hamlets)Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 2,671 votes Count Binface – 1,918 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 7,551 votes Natalie Campbell – 4,149 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 6,898 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 2,686 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 13,256 votes Tarun Ghulati – 2,692 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 38,626 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 108,977 votes Andreas Michli – 2,473 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 924 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 2,019 votes WINNER: Sadiq Khan, Labour PartyBarnet and CamdenFemy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 1,833 votes Count Binface – 1,701 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 8,480 votes Natalie Campbell – 2,810 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 4,266 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 1,987 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 9,044 votes Tarun Ghulati – 1,251 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 57,465 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 70,984 votes Andreas Michli – 1,669 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 479 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 1,086 votes WINNER: Sadiq Khan, Labour PartyCroydon and SuttonFemy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 2,074 votes Count Binface – 1,689 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 14,400 votes Natalie Campbell – 3,695 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 6,518 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 3,166 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 9,740 votes Tarun Ghulati – 1,774 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 78,790 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 59,482 votes Andreas Michli – 2,081 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 414 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 1,700 votes WINNER: Susan Hall, Conservative Party Havering and RedbridgeFemy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 1,986 votes Count Binface – 1,466 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 6,417 votes Natalie Campbell – 2,775 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 7,554 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 2,252 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 7,859 votes Tarun Ghulati – 3,692 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 82,859 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 50,780 votes Andreas Michli – 2,000 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 592 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 2,023 votes Winner: Susan Hall, Conservative Party Lambeth and SouthwarkFemy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 1,675 votes Count Binface – 1,838 votes Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 11,463 votes Natalie Campbell – 4,005 votes Howard Cox, Reform UK – 3,990 votes Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 2,167 votes Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 12,446 votes Tarun Ghulati – 954 votes Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 26,347 votes Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 106,861 votes Andreas Michli – 1,528 votes Brian Rose, London Real Party – 427 votes Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 1,043 votesWINNER: Sadiq Khan, Labour PartyFemy Amin, Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment – 29,280 (1.18%)Count Binface – 24,260 (0.98%)Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat – 145,184 (5.84%)Natalie Campbell – 47,815 (1.92%)Howard Cox, Reform UK – 78,865 votes (3.17%)Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party – 34,449 (1.39%)Zoe Garbett, The Green Party – 145,114 (5.84%)Tarun Ghulati – 24,702 (0.99%)Susan Hall, Conservative Party – 812,397 votes (32.7%) Sadiq Khan, Labour Party – 1,088,225 (43.8%)Andreas Michli – 26,121 (1.05%)Brian Rose, London Real Party – 7,501 (0.3%)Nick Scanlon, Britain First – 20,519 (0.83%) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailHolocaust Education Trust chief executive Karen Pollock has unleashed a furious attack on the way some pro-Palestinian protesters are comparing the Nazis to modern-day Israel.Ahead of commemorations of the horrific crimes by the Nazis which saw the mass murder of 6 million Jews, Ms Pollock has warned that modern-day protests on a range of issues including Gaza “trivialising” the Nazi crimes 80 years ago.“The Nazis, their leaders and their symbols have become almost synonymous for ultimate evil,” she wrote in an article for the Jewish News. “Online, we see this result in the phenomenon of Godwin’s law: the idea that the longer an online discussion continues, the more likely it is that someone stresses their point by using a comparison to the Nazis. However, what may have begun as an online phenomenon has now truly cemented itself into the real world.“Whether individuals donning a yellow star to protest pandemic restrictions or environmental groups using Holocaust-related language to warn against inaction on climate change – it seems that the only way you can make your point heard is by trivialising the murder of the 6 million. It is hurtful, it is wrong, and it is an insult to victims and to the survivors who see the Holocaust being deliberately used and misused.”Students waving the Palestinian flag take part in a demonstration in support of Palestinian people at University College London More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailBoris Johnson has said he tried to use a magazine about politics as voter ID when he turned up to the polls this week. Mr Johnson had been trying to cast his vote in the local elections in South Oxfordshire on Thursday but fell foul of legislation he introduced himself as prime minister. Staff initially turned the former Conservative Party leader away because he could not produce a proper voter ID.Writing for the Daily Mail after the incident, Mr Johnson claims he attempted to use a copy of Prospect magazine as a form of identification.Johnson had to make several trips to the polling station before he was allowed to cast his vote More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour has declared victory in London as it expects candidate Sadiq Khan to be re-elected as the Mayor of London.The full results are not yet in but Mr Khan has won four out of fourteen of the wards in the capital. The Tory candidate Susan Hall is expected to come second. Murmurs on Friday evening suggested the result may be closer than initially thought, as Mr Khan’s majority was expected to be hit by dissatisfaction with the Ulez scheme and the Labour party’s stance on Gaza.Pat McFadden, a senior member of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet, admitted that the party’s stance on Gaza, and Sir Keir’s support for Israel, had affected votes, saying that with “so many innocent people being killed I’m not surprised people have strong feelings about that”.Susan Hall’s campaign was hit by allegations of Islamophobia More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA former top prosecutor has hit out after the Conservatives twice reported Labour candidates to police just days before the local elections. The double whammy came as Rishi Sunak’s party faced predictions it would lose up to 500 councillors across England and struggle in two crunch mayoral votes. Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor, warned police forces were “being weaponised as part of the campaign by those who don’t care about the problems facing policing – particularly resourcing”. He also called for complaints during elections to be taken away from local forces and for prosecutions of “those with frivolous accusations for wasting police time”. Nazir Afzal is a former chief crown prosecutorOn Wednesday, West Midlands Police said it was assessing an allegation against Richard Parker, Labour’s candidate in the crunch election for the mayor of the West Midlands.That battle, alongside the vote for the mayor of the Tees Valley, was widely seen as crucial for Mr Sunak’s future, with rebel Tories ready to move against him had the party lost them. On Wednesday, The Independent revealed that the Tories had reported a Labour council group in Milton Keynes, a hotly contested bellwether seat, to Thames Valley Police. Labour sources condemned the complaint against Mr Parker as “shameful political game playing” as the Conservatives faced a disastrous set of election results. Labour claimed the use of police complaints by the Conservatives ahead of the local elections was “becoming more than a habit”.The double reporting of Labour last week follows the Conservatives’ push for an investigation into allegations Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner broke electoral law over the sale of her former council house. The Tories also reported Angela Rayner to the police over the sale a former home More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email London took center stage on Saturday as the counting of votes began in the capital city’s mayoral contest, a day after Britain’s governing Conservative Party suffered a drubbing in local election results.Sadiq Khan, the Labour Party mayor who is chasing a historic third straight election win, had been widely expected to win easily, but there are some concerns that the race may be tighter than previously thought. That’s mainly due to the fact that turnout at Thursday’s election — at a total of 40.5% — was higher in the outer suburbs than in the inner city. Khan’s main opponent, the Conservatives’ Susan Hall, focused her campaign on issues such as a levy imposed on high-polluting vehicles, which has resonated in the suburbs where residents depend more on their cars for work and essential travel. Also, there are concerns within Labour that Khan may have suffered from the blowback of the party leadership’s strong pro-Israel stance over the war in Gaza, which results Friday clearly showed depressed support in strongly Muslim areas in England.The result is due around lunchtime but officials have cautioned that it could run into the early hours of Sunday.Overall, the results of Thursday’s array of local elections cemented expectations that the Labour Party will return to power after 14 years in a U.K. general election that will take place in the coming months.Labour won control of councils in England that the party hasn’t held for decades, and was successful in a special election for a seat in Parliament. If those results are repeated in the general election, it would lead to one of the Conservatives’ biggest-ever defeats.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was able to breathe a sigh of relief when the Conservative mayor of Tees Valley in the northeast of England was reelected, albeit with a depressed share of the vote. The victory of Ben Houchen, who ran a very personal campaign, appears to have been enough to cushion Sunak from any revolt by Conservative lawmakers.Sunak will be hoping that Andy Street will also hold on in the West Midlands, especially in Birmingham, which has a big Muslim community.Labour leader Keir Starmer conceded that the party has had issues with Muslim voters, but the results in general were positive for the man who is favorite to become prime minister at the next general election.“We’re fed up with your division, with your chaos, with your failure,” he said Saturday. “If you leave your country in a worse state than when you found it 14 years later, you do not deserve to be in government a moment longer.”He called on Sunak to call an election now. Sunak has the power to decide on the date, and has indicated that it will be in the second half of 2024.Thursday’s elections in large parts of England were important in themselves, with voters deciding on who runs many aspects of their daily lives, such as garbage collection, road maintenance and local crime prevention. But with a national election looming, they are being viewed through a national prism.John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, said the results show that Sunak has not helped the Conservative brand following the damage accrued by the actions of his predecessors, Boris Johnson and then Liz Truss.“That in a sense is the big takeaway,” he told BBC radio.Sunak became prime minister in October 2022, after Truss’s short-lived tenure. She left office after 49 days following a budget of unfunded tax cuts that roiled financial markets and sent borrowing costs for homeowners surging.Her chaotic — and traumatic — leadership compounded the Conservatives’ difficulties following the circus surrounding her predecessor Johnson, who was forced to quit after being adjudged to have lied to Parliament over coronavirus lockdown breaches at his offices in Downing Street.By midmorning Saturday, with most of the 2,661 seats up for grabs in the local elections counted, the Conservatives were down by more than 446 while Labour was up 173. Other parties, such as the centrist Liberal Democrats and the Green Party also made gains. Reform U.K., which is trying to usurp the Conservatives from the right, also had some successes, notably in Blackpool South, where it was less than 200 votes from grabbing second place. More