U.K. Election: Labour Party wins major district councils

The Conservative Party has suffered major losses in London after the results of the local election, which saw the Labour Party take control of three major councils and boroughs — Westminster, Wandsworth and Barnet.

The Westminster city council since its creation in 1964 has always been a Conservative stronghold, but for the first time in history Labour has won a majority of seats overnight.

Wandsworth and Barnet were two major losses to Boris Johnson's Conservative Party, with Wandsworth being Margaret Thatcher's favourite council. After 44 years, it has now been handed to the Labour Party, with progressives cheering at the prospect of their “first black deputy leader for Wandsworth.”

Barnet is another council that the conservatives have lost for the first time.

Ravi Govindia, the now-outgoing Wandsworth councillor, says Neil Parish's porn scandal played part in the defeat.

Govindia said, “Inevitably other events have clouded the judgement of people in Wandsworth. We have done exactly what the residents of Wandsworth wanted, and to find that counts for nothing are a sad reflection of the importance of local government not being recognised.”

More London boroughs are still to have their council results announced, including Bromley, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Harrow, Islington, Kingston-upon-Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham and Newham.

Reacting to the news of Westminster turning red, conservative commentator and GB News presenter Calvin Robinson said this is “Not a great day for Tories in London. Sad news for Barnet, Westminster and Wandsworth. Westminster is especially worrying. Conservatives have done a great job of preserving the standards of the borough. It won’t take Labour long to undermine years of conservation.”

Robinson, in a later tweet said that Westminster would likely lose height restrictions on buildings, destroying the skyline, and cautioned that the storied culture of the area could be lost.

Commentator and writer Dominique Samuels lamented that London would only get worse under Labour, but noted Conservatives had only themselves to blame for the defeat.

Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, celebrated the win in Barnet.

Despite the success in the results, Starmer's victory message comes as he is now under investigation over an alleged lockdown breach.

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