Local elections 2023: Labour overtakes Conservatives as largest party of local government
Labour has now become the largest party of local government – surpassing the Tories for the first time since 2002 in a historic milestone.
The party was able to overtake the Tories after Rishi Sunak’s party suffered losses across the country, with six switching directly to Labour.
By Friday evening, Labour had won more than 450 seats seats and 19 councils, while the Tories lost over 978 seats and 47 councils.
The Labour wins came in battleground areas the party had been targeting including Medway in Kent and Swindon in the South West – both of which have been run by the Tories for the past 20 years.
In a further boost, the party also won several councils from no overall control including Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool, Middlesbrough, Broxtowe, High Peak and North East Derbyshire.
Throughout the day, the party continued to count successes in councils including Dover, East Staffordshire and Bracknell Forest, which it snatched from the Conservatives.
Some of its later gains were in Erewash and South Ribble, which it took from the Conservatives – the latter for the first time since 1999.
The results came in stark contrast to the Conservatives, who witnessed a slate of councils fall from their grip and into no overall control – a theme that has dominated the party’s evening.
On Friday evening, it lost a host of councils including Surrey Heath to the Lib Dems. Wealden, Staffordshire Moorlands and Central Bedfordshire all switched to no overall control.
The party also crashed to defeat in East Suffolk, Broadland, and Newark & Sherwood.
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The losses were preceded by Tamworth, Brentwood, North West Leicestershire, Hertsmere and East Lindsey, which all fell to no overall control overnight.
That pattern continued into Friday after losses across the country including in South Kesteven, South Gloucestershire, Welwyn Hatfield, Maidstone, Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase, West Devon, North Warwickshire and Tewkesbury.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer celebrated the gains as showing that his party was on course to win a majority at the next general election.
Politics live: ‘Alarm bells’ in Tory HQ as party takes ‘hammering by any standards’
Speaking from Medway, the jubilant Labour leader told supporters: “You didn’t just get it over the line, you blew the doors off.
“We’re having fantastic results across the country.
“Make no mistake, we are on course for a Labour majority at the next general election.”
Sir Keir Starmer celebrated “fantastic” council results
The Liberal Democrats were also celebrating gains throughout the day after they won control of councils in the “Blue Wall” Tory heartlands of Windsor and Maidenhead, Dacorum in Hertfordshire, Stratford-upon-Avon and South Hams.
The party also picked up Mid Devon council which had been in no overall control and South Oxfordshire.
The Green Party’s first major result of the day came when it won its first outright majority in Mid Suffolk, where the council had previously been under no overall control. Overall the party is currently up by more than 150 seats.
Despite the progress enjoyed by Labour in this set of elections, the party still needs to achieve a swing bigger than Sir Tony Blair’s landslide election victory in 1997 to secure a majority at the next election.
Sky News’ election analyst Professor Michael Thrasher said that based on analysis of change in vote share across 1,500 wards, Labour is the most popular party with 36%, with the Conservative share 29%, Lib Dems with 18% and others standing at 17%.
See full local election results here
Assuming a uniform national swing and applying these to the seats decided at the last general election, Labour would be on course to become the largest party at the next election.
It would gain 95 seats – to an improved total of 298 in this projection – the highest number since Labour won the 2005 general election, but 28 short of an overall majority.
And speaking to Sky’s Sophy Ridge after the scale of the Tory losses became clear, Labour shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry said the party was “pretty happy”, but added: “We’ve still got a long way to go.”
She added: “The sort of result that we need will be stupendous. We’ve got a mountain to climb – we know that we do.
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Emily Thornberry: “We’re pretty happy.”
“But we have got ourselves into a pretty good basecamp and the view’s alright.”
There was also disappointment for Labour in some areas. In Slough, Labour lost the council to no overall control.
And the party also struggled to replicate its headline successes in the South in some areas of the North East, including Darlington, Stockton and Hartlepool.
Sir Keir’s party did progress in Darlington and Hartlepool, but was unable to take back overall control of either – and in Stockton, the Conservatives took seats to become the biggest group for the first time in many years – although the council remained under no overall control.
Projected national estimated vote share
‘This is not a verdict on Rishi Sunak’
Asked by Sky News’ Sophy Ridge whether the results showed that Rishi Sunak had failed his first test at the ballot box, former Cabinet minister Liam Fox said: “It’s not a great result for us by any means but… this is not a verdict on Rishi Sunak – Rishi Sunak has actually seen the party’s electoral chances improving.”
Despite the early losses, Mr Sunak was defiant as he spoke to reporters outside the Conservative Party headquarters on Friday morning.
He said it is always “disappointing” to lose “hard-working Conservative councillors” but “in terms of the results, it’s still early”.
“We’re making progress in key election battlegrounds like Peterborough, Bassetlaw and Sandwell,” he said.
“I am not detecting any massive groundswell of movement to the Labour Party or excitement about their agenda.”
However, a Labour source said the Conservatives had only won two seats in Sandwell, where it now has 12 seats compared with Labour’s 60, adding: “If that is all the PM and CCHQ can point to as ‘progress’ they are in enormous trouble.”
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Sunak responds to local election results
Read more: See full elections results as they come in
Labour has shown sound gains when it comes to both seats and vote share in numerous areas, including Thurrock, Rushmoor and Redditch.
‘Hammer blow to Tories’
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey hailed a “historic victory” for the Liberal Democrats’, whom he said had enjoyed its “best result in decades”.
“It’s little wonder Rishi Sunak is running scared of a general election, because he knows the Liberal Democrats are set to take swathes of seats across the Conservative Party’s former heartlands,” he said.
Voters have been deciding who runs services in 230 (out of 317) local authorities in England, with around 8,000 councillors’ seats up for grabs.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey in Windsor
Mayors have also been chosen in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough in what is the biggest round of local elections since 2019.
The seats on offer were last contested in 2019, when Mrs May was weeks away from resigning, and her party lost 1,300 seats.
Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn at the time, also suffered losses with the Lib Dems, Greens and independents coming off best.
Analysis: Is this a new dawn for Labour?
Here are the benchmarks from Sky News’ elections analyst Professor Michael Thrasher for what would make a good and bad night for the main parties:
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Sky’s election analyst explains his general election projection
Conservatives
• Fewer than 300 losses: This would see the party winning council seats back from Independents, with Labour and the Lib Dems not prospering
• 500 losses: The party could argue “mid-term blues” and will assume Labour could be caught before the general election
• 750 losses: This would indicate a clear swing to Labour, but still less than opinion polls imply
• 1,000 losses: A very bad night, with a third of all seats defended by the Conservatives lost
Labour
• 700 gains: The best local elections for at least a decade. Labour would look on its way to becoming the largest party in Westminster, even if short of a majority
• 450 gains: These results would be better than in 2022, when local elections took place in Greater London
• 250 gains: A disappointing result for Labour in the context of recent opinion polls
• Under 150 gains: A step backwards for Labour
Liberal Democrats
• 150+ gains: Eating into Conservative territory and could put some marginal constituencies in play at the next election
• 50-100 gains: Comfortable enough in their own heartlands but only modest further progress
• Fewer than 50 gains: Fewer than 50 gains: Still struggling to pose a real threat to the Conservatives in the South
Sky News will be bringing you full coverage both on TV and online.
It is one of the most notorious and secret places in Iran.
Somewhere foreign journalists are never allowed to visit or film. The prison where dissidents and critics of Iran’s government disappear – some never to be seen again.
But we went there today, invited by Iranian authorities eager to show the damage done there by Israel.
Evin Prison was hit by Israeli airstrikes the day before a ceasefire ended a 12-day war with Iran. The damage is much greater than thought at the time.
We walked through what’s left of its gates, now a mass of rubble and twisted metal, among just a handful of foreign news media allowed in.
A few hundred yards in, we were shown a building Iranians say was the prison’s hospital.
Behind iron bars, every one of the building’s windows had been blown in. Medical equipment and hospital beds had been ripped apart and shredded.
Debris scattered across what Iran says was the prison hospital
It felt eerie being somewhere normally shut off to the outside world.
On the hill above us, untouched by the airstrikes, the buildings where inmates are incarcerated in reportedly horrific conditions, ominous watch towers silhouetted against the sky.
Evin felt rundown and neglected. There was something ineffably sad and oppressive about the atmosphere as we wandered through the compound.
The Iranians had their reasons to bring us here. The authorities say at least 71 people were killed in the air strikes, some of them inmates, but also visiting family members.
Authorities say this building was the visitor centre
Iran says this is evidence that Israel was not just targeting military or nuclear sites but civilian locations too.
But the press visit highlighted the prison’s notoriety too.
Iran’s critics and human rights groups say Evin is synonymous with the brutal oppression of political prisoners and opponents, and its practice of hostage diplomacy too.
British dual nationals, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe were held here for years before being released in 2022 in exchange for concessions from the UK.
Read more:
Iran: Still a chance for peace talks with US
Why Netanyahu wants a 60-day ceasefire – analysis
Inmates are held in building on a hill above, which has been untouched by airstrikes
Interviewed about the Israeli airstrikes at the time, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe showed only characteristic empathy with her former fellow inmates. Trapped in their cells, she said they must have been terrified.
The Israelis have not fully explained why they put Evin on their target list, but on the same day, the Israeli military said it was “attacking regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran”.
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The locus of their strikes were the prison’s two entrances. If they were trying to enable a jailbreak, they failed. No one is reported to have escaped, several inmates are thought to have died.
The breaches the Israeli missiles made in the jail’s perimeter are being closed again quickly. We filmed as a team of masons worked to shut off the outside world again, brick by brick.
Israeli-backed American contractors guarding aid centres in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades as starving Palestinians scramble for food, an investigation has claimed.
The Associated Press has reported the accounts by two contractors from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), although the organisation has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as “categorically false”.
GHF was established in February to deliver desperately needed aid to people in the besieged enclave, but its work has been heavily criticised by international aid groups.
It has also been subject to intense scrutiny about its operations, which Sky News previously reported are associated with a significant increase in deaths.
AP’s claims, which have not been independently verified by Sky News, came from GHF contractors who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were revealing their employer’s internal operations.
Palestinians are shown scrambling for aid in the footage provided to AP. Pic: AP
They said they were motivated to speak out as they were disturbed by what they considered dangerous practices by security staff who were often heavily armed.
AP reported the contractors had claimed “their colleagues regularly lobbed stun grenades and pepper spray in the direction of the Palestinians” and “bullets were fired in all directions – in the air, into the ground and at times toward the Palestinians, recalling at least one instance where he thought someone had been hit”.
Contractor: ‘Innocent people being hurt’
“There are innocent people being hurt. Badly. Needlessly,” the contractor told AP.
Videos reportedly provided by one contractor show aid sites, located in Israeli military-controlled zones, with hundreds of Palestinians crammed between metal gates, scrambling to reach aid.
In the background, gunfire can be heard, and stun grenades are allegedly fired into crowds.
Footage provided to the AP news agency allegedly shows tear gas being fired at an aid distribution site in Gaza. Pic: AP
The footage does not show who was shooting or what was being shot at, but another video shows contractors in a compound, when bursts of gunfire can be heard. One man is then heard shouting in celebration: “Whoo! Whoo!”.
“I think you hit one,” another says, followed by the comment: “Hell, yeah, boy!”
The contractor who took the video told AP that colleagues were shooting in the direction of Palestinians.
Read more:
Gaza ceasefire proposal a significant moment
‘More than 90 killed’ in Israeli strikes in Gaza
Why Netanyahu wants 90-day ceasefire – analysis
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry and witnesses, several hundred people have been killed and hundreds more wounded since the GHF sites started operating more than a month ago, amid claims by Palestinians of Israeli troops opening fire almost every day at crowds seeking to reach the aid.
In response, Israel’s military says it fires only warning shots and is investigating reports of civilian harm. It denies deliberately shooting at any innocent civilians and says it’s examining how to reduce “friction with the population” in the areas surrounding the distribution centres.
Bursts of gunfire can be heard in the footage as Palestinians run towards aid being distributed. Pic: AP
GHF attacks ‘false claims’
GHF has vehemently denied the accusations, adding that it has investigated AP’s allegations.
In a statement on X, GHF wrote: “Based on time-stamped video footage and sworn witness statements, we have concluded that the claims in the AP’s story are categorically false. At no point were civilians under fire at a GHF distribution site.
“The gunfire heard in the video was confirmed to have originated from the IDF, who was outside the immediate vicinity of the GHF distribution site.
“It was not directed at individuals, and no one was shot or injured. What is most troubling is that the AP refused to share the full video with us prior to publication, despite the seriousness of the allegations.”
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Safe Reach Solutions, the logistics company subcontracted by GHF, told the AP there have been no serious injuries at any of their sites to date.
But the organisation admitted that, in isolated incidents, security professionals fired live rounds into the ground and away from civilians to get their attention.
A Safe Reach Solutions spokesperson told AP this happened at the start of their operations at “the height of desperation where crowd control measures were necessary for the safety and security of civilians”.
Liverpool star Diogo Jota has died in a car crash.
The 28-year-old Portuguese forward died in the accident in the early hours of Thursday morning near Zamora, in northwestern Spain.
His brother, Andre Silva, was also killed in the crash on the Rias Bajas Highway (A-52) near Palacios de Sanabria, heading towards Benavente.
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Jota’s former teammate: ‘This can’t be real’
The site of the accident on the A52
Follow the latest updates following Diogo Jota’s death
Jota and Silva were driving to Santander to catch a ferry back to England ahead of the start of Liverpool’s pre-season training on Monday, CNN Portugal reports.
The news outlet reports that Jota was advised against flying back to England due to recent surgery.
Police said the accident happened at 12.30am when the Lamborghini the pair were travelling in veered off the road.
Palacios de Sanabria in the north of Spain
“A vehicle left the road and everything indicates a tyre burst while overtaking,” the Guardia Civil in Zamora told Sky Sports News in a statement.
“As a result of the accident, the car caught fire and both people were killed. Pending the completion of forensic tests, one of the deceased has been identified as Diogo Jota, a Liverpool FC player, and his brother, Andre Felipe.”
A Spanish government source told the PA news agency that police were investigating the crash as “a possible speeding incident”.
The aftermath of the crash. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Police added that no other vehicles were involved in the incident.
Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road, including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle.
It comes just 10 days after the player married his long-term girlfriend, Rute Cardoso.
Diogo Jota holds the Premier League trophy aloft after the club’s title win in the 2024/25 season. Pic: Reuters
Diogo Jota walks the pitch with his family in 2022.
Pic: PA
He had three children.
The footballer, who played as a striker for Liverpool, began his career in his native Portugal and played at Atletico Madrid in Spain before moving to England.
He joined the Merseyside club from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp with Diogo Jota. Pic: PA
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Diogo Jota (right) during a training session. Pic: PA
Jota played an important role throughout his five years with the Reds, including scoring six times in Liverpool’s recent Premier League-winning season.
He scored a total of 47 times in 123 matches for the club. He also played 49 times for the Portugal national side, scoring 14 times.
Silva, 25, played for Penafiel, a Portuguese second division club.
Diogo Jota holding the trophy on the team bus during the Premier League winners parade in Liverpool. Pic: PA
Teammates and football legends pay tribute
A statement issued by Liverpool FC said the club was “devastated” by their player’s death.
“The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre,” the club said in a statement.
“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.
“We will continue to provide them with our full support.”
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Sky’s Greg Milam reports from Anfield Stadium where Liverpool fans are hearing about the death of Diogo Jota.
The Portuguese football federation said it was “utterly devastated by the deaths”.
“Far beyond being an exceptional player, with nearly 50 caps for the national team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with a contagious joy and a reference within his own community.
“We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and Andre Silva represents irreparable losses for Portuguese Football, and we will do everything to honour their legacy daily.”
The Portugal and Spain women’s teams held a minute’s silence for Jota and Silva before their match in the Women’s Euros in Switzerland on Thursday evening.
Floral tributes left at Anfield this morning. Pic: Sky
It came after Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot said in a statement: “What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words but I know I do not.
“All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.
“My first thoughts are not those of a football manager. They are of a father, a son, a brother and an uncle and they belong to the family of Diogo and Andre Silva who have experienced such an unimaginable loss.”
Jota’s former manager at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, offered his thoughts in a post on Instagram.
“This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose, but I can’t see it,” he said.
“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre. Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father.
“We will miss you so much. All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk posted on Instagram: “What a human being, what a player, but most importantly what an unbelievable family man.
“You mean so much to all of us and you always will!”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s captain in the national team, said: “It doesn’t make sense. Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you had gotten married.
“To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world.
“I know you will always be with them. Rest in Peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.”
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Diogo Jota married his long-term girlfriend just two weeks ago
Jota’s Liverpool teammates Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai have also paid tribute.
Szoboszlai wrote: “Words cannot describe how heartbroken and devastated we are… Your smile, your love for the game will never be forgotten.
“We will miss you so much, but you will stay with us forever, on and off the pitch.”
Jota’s former teammates Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Thiago Alcantara have also shared messages on social media.
Mane posted a picture of himself and Jota with heartbreak emojis.
It came as Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish wrote on X: “You feel helpless, knowing there’s so little we can do to ease the pain for his wife of just two weeks, his three beautiful children.”
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard shared an image of Jota on Instagram and wrote: “Condolences to his family and friends during this incredibly sad time.”
Liverpool owners Billy Hogan, John Henry and Tom Werner, who are part of the Fenway Sports Group, said: “This tragic situation and the reality of it is truly shocking, devastating and has left us numb with grief.”
Football icon Lionel Messi has also paid tribute, sharing an image of Jota on Instagram with the message “QEPD” – short for the Spanish phrase ‘que en paz descanse’, which translates to “may he rest in peace'”.
European football clubs such as Barcelona and AC Milan have also shared messages, along with basketball player LeBron James and tennis icon Rafael Nadal.
Meanwhile Liverpool FC have opened a physical and digital book of condolence for supporters and members of the public to sign.
The physical book is at the club’s stadium, in the Anfield Road Stand reception area until Sunday evening.
An avid video gamer, Jota also owned an eSports team and regularly streamed on Twitch.
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