Sir Keir Starmer’s party saw gains which meant it now has more than 1,150 council seats in the capital
(Picture: PA Wire)Four Conservative MPs in London were on Monday firmly in the general election sights of opposition parties after Labour secured its highest number of councillors in the city for more than 50 years.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party saw gains which meant it now has more than 1,150 council seats in the capital, up from 1,128 in 2018, and the highest number since the 1,221 in 1971, according to a Labour analysis.
It also won three flagship Tory councils: Barnet, Wandsworth and Westminster. Though it lost Harrow and Tower Hamlets, with the Tories also gaining the Croydon mayoralty.
After most results had come in, Labour believes more firmly that it could win Chipping Barnet, Finchley and Golders Green and Hendon from the Tories, and that Wimbledon may go to the Liberal Democrats.
Karen Buck, Labour MP for Westminster North, said: “These were a strong set of results for Labour in the capital and a vindication of the leadership shown by Sadiq Khan and Labour councils, MPs and Assembly Members... We’ve got Tory parliamentary seats clearly within our sights.”
While town hall elections are an indicator of political swings, some voters tend to back other parties at general elections.
Responding to the Labour analysis, ex-Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers, who retained the Chipping Barnet seat with a majority of 1,212 in 2019, said: “The election in Chipping Barnet will be a closely fought contest as it has been for past elections. I will... make the case in Barnet for the Conservative agenda of sound management of the economy, lower taxes and high quality public services.”
Former transport minister Stephen Hammond, Tory MP for Wimbledon, said: “The results weren’t good and should be a wake up call to No10 that it needs to have policies that resonate in London.”
Hendon Conservative MP Matthew Offord remained confident that people in the current Hendon constituency would vote Tory at the next election.
“The only way the Labour Party could win a parliamentary seat containing Hendon would be with a boundary change,” he added, with a boundary shake-up due to happen soon.
Sir Keir hailed the wins in London as showing Labour had “turned a massive corner” from the Jeremy Corbyn era.
However, Tory sources stressed that turnout at the town hall elections, in Barnet for example, was around half what it normally was at general elections.
The polls also saw the Lib Dems gain a string of seats and some councils, sparking claims that there could be a fresh move by Tory MPs to topple Boris Johnson amid the partygate scandal.
But with the Conservatives holding onto more seats in the North, and gaining some in some areas, Mr Offord said: “I don’t think there will be a credible challenge to the Prime Minister.”
Overall, the Tories lost about 480 seats, Labour won more than 100 and Lib Dems about 220.
A London council has still not finished its elections count. Havering council is due to begin a recount in the Rainham and Wennington ward Monday evening.
A council spokesman said: “Due to the small number in difference in the votes for Rainham and Wennington Ward, two recounts were asked for from the parties involved. A further recount was asked for and a decision was made ... to do this on Monday at 6pm.”
