The dust has settled on another dramatic round of local elections - with Labour celebrating and the Tories in dire straits. Sir Keir Starmer's party said the Conservatives' dire results marked a 'clear rejection' of Rishi Sunak in his first electoral test as Prime Minister.
Sir Keir was celebrating wins in key battlegrounds as an indication his party was on course to win the next general election. Mr Sunak was under pressure as Conservative losses neared the 1,000 worst-case prediction senior Tories had floated to manage expectations ahead of the poll.
With almost all authorities having declared, Mr Sunak’s party shed 48 local authorities and 962 councillors. Labour gained 632 seats and seized 22 councils, including ones that would be hotly contested at a general election – such as Swindon, Medway, Stoke-on-Trent, Dover and East Staffordshire.
