Labour has won the Blackpool South byelection, marking the third biggest swing from the Conservatives to the party in postwar history. The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, hailed the result as 'seismic', in a night of local elections that provided further evidence that his party is heading for a large majority at this year's general election. Chris Webb, a local and firm favourite, won with 10,825 votes, followed by David Jones, the Tory candidate, with a distant 3,218 votes. Labour's victory is the latest sign that the party is winning again in leave-voting areas it lost to Boris Johnson's Conservatives in 2019, with the party gaining control of the councils in Rushmoor, Thurrock and Hartlepool

Source: The Guardian May 03, 2024 15:29 UTC