Sir Keir Starmer (Ben Birchall/PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has launched his party’s London local election campaign in the traditional Tory stronghold of Barnet - its top target in the capital.
Sir Keir is hoping to capitalise on voter unease over the cost of living crisis to build on Labour’s success at the last council elections in 2018 which saw Labour make the vast majority of its national gains in London.
Labour’s activists in the city have set their sights on totemic Tory boroughs like Barnet, Westminster and Wandsworth - which has been Conservative controlled for 44 years.
“Families are £2,620 worse off under this government - with prices going through the roof and wages through the floor,” Sir Keir said.
“Over the past 12 years the Tories have slashed funds for local government but the biggest cuts in the whole country are being forced on London.
“Londoners have a chance to send the Tories a message they cannot ignore - that the public deserves better than their pathetic response to a cost of living crisis they’ve made worse.”
The Conservatives dispute Labour’s economic analysis including the scale of the hit on households.
Although Boris Johnson’s poll ratings have recovered, following his response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Labour are still ahead, according to a survey by Ipsos last month.
With the partygate affair still hanging over the Prime Minister, the council elections on May 5 are likely to provide a major popularity test for Mr Johnson and his Government as millions of households face soaring energy bills, rising prices and higher taxes.
With the energy price cap rising by 54 per cent at the start of the month to nearly £2000 a year, Labour claims 15 per cent of households in the capital are in fuel poverty. The party added that the figure jumps to more than 20 per cent in boroughs like Barking, Dagenham, Newham and Waltham Forest.
In areas like Barnet however, the Conservatives are hoping local issue like council tax, rubbish collection and protecting the greenbelt from housing development will help see off the challenge from Labour.
Although Labour controls the vast majority of London boroughs, polling experts believe the party could build on its success at the last local elections in 2018 when 66 of its 77 seat gains were in the capital.
The party is also hoping to make council gains outside of London in areas in the north and Midlands which switched to the Conservatives for the first time at the General Election in 2019.
However Labour’s may struggle to win the mayoralty in the south London borough of Croydon after the council there was declared bankrupt.
