LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party suffered a crushing defeat in local elections on Friday, undermining his attempt to rebuild its fortunes ahead of next year’s referendum. encouraged the opposition Labor Party.
Sunak came to power in October after a year of political scandals, soaring inflation and sluggish economic growth. During his tenure, he has faced a cost of living crisis, increasing his concerns over health care and widespread industrial action.
The ruling party often struggles in midterm elections, but the results of the council in England are the biggest – and perhaps the last – gauge of voter sentiment ahead of the next national elections due by January 2025. will be a test of
With a majority of the council counting the votes, this did not affect the government’s majority in parliament, with the Conservatives netting 943 seats by 1802 GMT, Labor adding 486 seats and the Liberal Democrats 353. won a seat.
Labor said it was on track to gain power in the next general election. Sky News projections based on early results show Labor will be the largest party in the next national election with 36-38% of the vote, while the Conservatives could be her 28-30%. there is.
Expectations suggest Labor may fall short of a majority, but that could depend on the outcome in Scotland, which is fighting for a seat from the Scottish National Party and does not hold local elections.
A similar BBC forecast predicted 35% for Labor and 26% for the Conservatives in the national election, with some within Sunak’s party expressing concern about the outcome.
The Labor Party has gained control of Swindon County Council in South West England. The town is where Labor leader Kiel Sturmer launched his campaign and has consistently voted for members of the ruling party since 1983.
“No spin, no gloss. This is a terrifying set of results,” said Justin Tomlinson, a Conservative MP in parliament for Swindon North. “The party as a whole should take this as a wake-up call to refresh and renew.”
[1/5] British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves his campaign headquarters after addressing supporters in London, England, May 5, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble
“Clear” Rebuff
The vote was to elect some 8,000 councilors to local government authorities responsible for collecting trash bins and providing routine services such as schools.
In the north and south of England, the Sunak’s party was defeated by the Labor Party, while the Liberal Democrats won in the wealthier parts of the South.
Sunak told reporters that the results so far show that people want his ruling party to follow through on its priorities, but the process of announcing the results is still premature and the count has been delayed. In what followed, he said he was unable to draw firm conclusions.
John Curtis, Britain’s most famous pollster, said the Conservative Party’s approach to 1,000 seats would cause serious electoral trouble, and the results could prove bleak for the party trying to stay in power in the next parliamentary elections. It is an “obvious” refusal.
“[Labour]has the potential to win an overall[parliamentary]majority, but not because voters are crazy about Labor, but simply because the Conservatives are doing very poorly.” he told BBC radio.
He has been the party’s third leader since becoming prime minister last year after Liz Truss was ousted within two months by the scandal-filled inauguration of Boris Johnson and his chaotic economic policies. Sunak has tried to regain the trust of the Conservative Party.
Plymouth MP Johnny Mercer said it was a “terrible” night for the Conservatives.
Labor has benefited on several fronts in favor of leaving the EU in the 2016 Brexit referendum, which the party needs to win if it wants to win a majority in the next parliament.
“Definitely we are on the road to winning a Labor majority in the next general election,” Sturmer said during a visit to Medway, one of the elected councils.
Reporting by Andrew MacAskill.Edited by Michael Perry
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