Mayor election results: West Midlands joy for Labour seals strong mayor and local gains

Labour candidate Richard Parker has narrowly pulled off an “incredible” win in the West Midlands mayor race against Andy Street, after Sadiq Khan convincingly won an historic third term in the London mayor election.

Saturday also saw its other incumbent regional mayors comfortably re-elected, consolidating Friday’s strong results in key parliamentary battlegrounds and three new mayoral posts.

Read updates below from counts nationally as they happened throughout Saturday, with Labour first winning landslides in the Liverpool City Region and South Yorkshire mayor contests before Andy Burnham and Tracy Brabin won on increased swings in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.

Early results in the London mayor contest made clear Sadiq Khan was on track to win an unprecedented third term despite party fears about Tory voting rule changes. Khan won almost 1.1 million votes to Hall’s 0.8m.

Labour won the police and crime commissioner contest in the West Midlands. See all the Labour gains in PCC elections here, and all the councils Labour won and lost here.

The closely fought West Midlands race then saw ballot bundles checked by officials and then a recount in Coventry, delaying the results – before sources told LabourList and others the Labour challenger had narrowly managed to pull off an impressive victory, shortly before results were officially due to be announced. Just a few thousand votes separated the two contenders.

Sky News’ Sam Coates asked if it could be a “sliding doors moment” for the Prime Minister amid party plotting. Tories during the campaign had hyped up the prospect of Street holding the mayoralty as a sign of party recovery nationally.

Meanwhile party leader Keir Starmer celebrated new Labour mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward’s victory yesterday at a Saturday morning rally. He said election results “vindicate the work of the past few years changing the Labour party”, and showed voters “fed up” with Tory division, chaos and failure could “safely” vote for Labour’s positive plans.

Key election results and developments so far:

• Labour ‘pulls off massive win’ in West Midlands contest
• 4pm: London results breakdown as Sadiq Khan re-elected
• 3:15pm: Tracy Brabin re-elected on increased swing in West Yorkshire
• 3.11pm: Burnham speech as he is re-elected convincingly
• 12.48pm: Labour mayors romp home in South Yorkshire and Liverpool City Region
• 12.30pm: State of the parties as Labour makes strong gains in key areas

Breaking: Labour source says we’ve won the West Midlands mayor election

Richard Parker has pulled off an impressive victory in the West Midlands mayoral race, capping off a strong set of mayoral and local election results for Labour, Labour sources have told LabourList, the BBC and Sky News.

Labour’s deputy national campaign coordinator Ellie Reeves had urged activists to flock to Birmingham on polling day, in a sign of Labour’s sense a win was within grasp. Reeves congratulated Parker before results were confirmed, calling it “incredible”.

The party had played down hopes of winning the contest towards the end of the campaign, however.

LabourList profiled the Labour candidate last year when he was selected last year here.

Parker joined consultancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 1989, working his way up to be a partner and the company’s lead on housing and communities. He has been a Labour Party member for 35 years and managed PwC’s relationship with the party’s frontbench between 2010 and 2015.

His projects during his time with PwC included working with local council leaders to set up the West Midlands Combined Authority that he is now seeking to lead and taking part in negotiations to secure the region’s first devolution deal.

He left PwC in 2016 to establish his own business working with SMEs and social enterprises on green investment, housing initiatives and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. He has lived in the West Midlands since 1985.

During his Labour selection contest, Parker set out nine priorities during his campaign including launching an “all-out assault on low pay” by ensuring the Combined Authority only does business with firms that pay the real living wage, taking the local bus network into public control and bringing forward the region’s net zero pledge from 2041 to 2035.

That’s it from us for updates today – we’re taking a break after a busy few days….

5:00pm: Khan’s historic victory

A London Labour official said: “This is the first time in the history of the London mayoralty that an incumbent has increased their margin of victory and seen a swing towards them.

“This is the biggest ever margin of victory in a mayoral election. It’s a vote for building more council homes, delivering free school meals and a greener London.

“Labour’s positive campaign resonated with Londoners, focusing on Sadiq’s cost-of -living offer of universal free school meals and keeping fares low, as well as his world-leading green action.”

We’re taking a short break now, but the LabourList blog will be back in time for the West Midlands result.

4:55pm: Full recount in Coventry

The BBC are reporting that a full recount will take place in Coventry, part of the West Midlands area, which has been requested by the Conservatives.

4:50pm: West Midlands (PCC) result

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner – 327,844 votes for Labour, 241,827 for the Conservatives.

4:45pm: Labour holds Salford mayor

Labour has very comfortably held the Salford mayoralty.

4:35pm: All eyes on West Mids

Still no news from the West Midlands, where a bundle recount is ongoing. One source tells LabourList just a few thousand votes are thought to separate Labour and the Tories in the West Mids.

4:30pm: Winning where we need to win

Labour Together Director Josh Simons says that “Labour is winning most in the areas where it needs to win the most”, citing Leave voting areas like Thurrock.

The party are “relentlessly focussed on the centre ground of British politics”.

4:25pm: London formal declaration imminent

We know the results, but we should get the final flourish, and a speech from Khan, shortly.

4.20pm: See all of Labour’s council and police chief results

Want to look at the full set of council gains and losses? Do that with our full list here.

We also have a full list of all PCCs won and lost here.

4.11pm: West Midlands voting checks as race ‘incredibly close’

‘Bundle checks’ are happening in five of the seven areas that are counting for the West Midlands results, according to the BBC.

That means they are checking the ballots, and it could potentially lead to a re-count.

Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips says the results “varied across the different areas” in the West Midlands.

“I very much hope that we can pull it off here but it is incredibly close.”

4pm: Full constituency-level results for Khan as mayor re-elected

It’s Sadiq! Khan has won the London mayoralty for an incredible third term, winning 1,088,225 votes to Tory rival Susan Hall’s 811,518. The Lib Dems finished third, just 70 ahead of the Greens on 145,184.

READ MORE London mayor election full results unpacked as Sadiq Khan wins big

Congratulations to all those Labour folk who helped make it happen.

Local media outlet London World reports the following London Assembly constituency-level results for Khan, who won the first six and Hall the next three:

• Khan received 48.3% of the votes in Merton and Wandsworth, the first to declare, while Hall received 28.6%.
• In Greenwich and Lewisham Mr Khan received 46.5% and Ms Hall 26.2%.
• In the North East Khan received 127,455 compared to Hall’s 34,099.
• In West Central Mr Khan received 54,481 votes and Hall 43,405 votes.
• In the South West Khan won with 77,011 of the votes to Hall’s 68,856 votes.
• In Enfield, Khan gained 82,725 of the votes to Hall’s 41,389.
• In Bexley and Bromley Hall won with 111,216 votes to Khan’s 48,952 votes.
• In Brent and Harrow Hall won with 66,151 votes to Khan’s 58,743.
• In Ealing and Hillingdon Hall won 75,396 votes to Mr Khan’s 73,257.

3:50pm: Potential re-count in the West Mids

You might have noticed that the result from the West Midlands has… not appeared. ITV are reporting that there may be a re-count, which would suggest it’s a lot closer than Labour’s initial reaction yesterday suggests. Let’s wait and see.

3:40pm: City and East goes for Khan

Unsurprisingly, but still nice.

3:15pm: Tracy Brabin re-elected on increased swing in West Yorkshire – full story

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin has won with 275,430 votes over her Conservative opponent Arnold Craven, who claimed 82,757 votes.

Brabin increased her share of the vote 7.3 percentage points to 50.4%, with the Tories down 14 percentage points to 15.1%.

Read our full piece on her re-election here.

3:11pm: Burnham’s victory speech and results breakdown – full story

In his victory speech, Burnham pledged to put “place first” not party first, and said devolution from central government must go further.

The re-elected mayor asks for Westminster to “give us the powers to free ourselves from the grip of the housing crisis” and says he would champion a better benefits system.

“We need to re-connect power with the promotion of the common good”, he said, concluding: “I am ready to fight harder than I have ever fought before” for a better Greater Manchester.

Burnham won by a convincing margin, taking 63.4% of the vote – with his nearest Tory challenger managing only 10.4%.

Read our full piece on his re-election here.

3:10: Burnham’s back!

Andy Burnham is re-elected as Manchester metro-mayor.

He got 420,749 votes. The Tory got 68,946. Close, then.

3pm: Solihull goes for Street

We have the first result from the West Mids mayoral race – in Solihull, the Tory Street racked up 35,289 votes, against Richard Parker’s 11,728 votes. We know thanks to briefing yesterday that Labour doesn’t expect to win here, and an upset is unlikely, but not wholly beyond the realms of possibility.

2:50pm: Labour hold Warrington

To move out of London momentarily: the BBC reports that Labour has made some gains in Warrington and kept control of the council.

2:45pm: Half a million votes for Khan

Sadiq Khan won 559,000 votes in the first six areas areas reporting first, to Hall’s 386,000 and Lib Dem Rob Blackie’s 80,000.

More details on the London results here: https://labourlist.org/2024/05/london-mayor-election-results-sadiq-khan-win-susan-hall/

2:43: Labour hold the West Midlands PCC

Labour held the West Midlands Police and Crime role.

2:31pm: Len Duvall re-elected

The London assembly member for Greenwich and Lewisham has held his seat, with an increased majority. He’s the Labour group leader on the London assembly.

2:30pm: BBC says it’s Khan

The BBC have called the London race for Khan. Happy days!

LabourList‘s own Cathleen Clarke, who was out campaigning in London this week, called it for Khan “hands down” yesterday too, despite Labour sources suggesting it was a very tight race….

2:25: Khan wins Enfield and Haringey

Khan, with 82,725, wins twice the vote of his opponent Hall (41,389) in these North London boroughs.

Congratulations to everyone in the Enfield Labour Party, where your LabourList blogger started their life in the Labour Party on Sadiq’s first campaign in 2016.

2:20: Curtice calls it

Polling expert John Curtice thinks Sadiq Khan has won in London. So do we.

2:10pm: Khan wins in South West London

Labour scores another win in South West London, with Hall winning 68,856 votes to Khan’s 77,011.

2:07pm: Khan banks 350k votes

Sadiq Khan won 350,453 votes in the four areas reporting first, to Hall’s 164,423.

The expected victory comes in spite of Tory electoral changes such as voter ID requirements and a switch to first-past-the-post that some in Labour had feared could cost it the capital’s mayoralty.

2:01: Full London results expected soon

The results of the 2024 London mayor election are due to be announced soon, with Labour sources now confident incumbent Sadiq Khan will win a third term against Tory rival Susan Hall.

Full story and results here very soon.

2:00pm: Leonie Cooper re-elected

The Wandsworth and Merton London assembly member re-elected. Turn-out was 45.97%, and she has a majority of 27k.

1:55pm: North East London goes for Khan

Khan has absolutely smashed Hall here, 34,099 to 127,455. The BBC reports that Labour is confident that they will win the mayoralty.

1:45pm: Khan team confident

LabourList understands that the London Labour team are said to be looking confident as Sadiq Khan’s votes are counted. At least one source tells the BBC they think Khan has one. After some jitters yesterday, it’s now looking very likely that Khan will get his 3rd term.

1:40pm: Counting finished in West Mids

The BBC are reporting that the counting has finished in the West Midlands. The result is in: we get to know what it is in just under an hour.

1.30pm: What does the metro mayor map look like?

A handy map from the Institute for Government. It’s also worth reading my colleague Dan Green’s report on the three new mayoral posts Labour bagged yesterday.

1.20pm: What time will London, West Midlands and West Yorkshire mayor election results come in and be announced?

What’s the day looking like from here? Results are trickling in from London boroughs, so we’ll know before the announcement, and probably in the next hour.

Greater Manchester comes in at 4pm – like Liverpool earlier, expected to be a comfortable hold for Labour – and at around 7pm we’ll have neighbouring Salford, one of the last results.

The West Midlands mayor has been one of the most closely studied contests, with incumbent Tory Andy Street looking to beat Labour’s Richard Parker. It seems likely that he will – Labour has said it doesn’t think it’s won this one – but we’ll know either way by around 3pm.

1pm: Watch Keir Starmer’s message in Mansfield this morning

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12.48pm: Oliver Coppard re-elected as South Yorkshire mayor

Labour’s Oliver Coppard has been re-elected as the metro-mayor of South Yorkshire, and in fine style with a 4 per cent swing to Labour, hot on the heels of his Liverpool City Region peer Steve Rotheram’s victory (see below).

Coppard said his re-election was “a mandate to continue the work we started in earnest” and that he wanted to offer people across the region “the chance to stay near and go far”, and would “think first of those who all too often come last”.

“If you call South Yorkshire your home then I am proud to be your mayor.”

12.40pm: Steve Rotheram speech as he’s re-elected in Liverpool city region

Steve Rotheram could not have been more comfortably re-elected as the metro-mayor for the rock-solid red Liverpool city region, with votes 183,932 – a majority of more than 150,000 over his next opponent, which was the Conservatives on 27,708.

In his victory speech, Rotheram called on the Prime Minister to hold a general election.

12.30pm: Good signs for Sadiq Khan as he wins first constituencies to declare

We’ve had our first results from London: Merton and Wandsworth has a 48.3% vote for Khan, while  his Tory opponent Hall was on 28.6%.

Greenwich and Lewisham have also come in, with Khan clocking a 47k majority on quite similar proportions.

John Curtice has described this as a “fairly good indication” that Khan will be re-elected. Both results are around a 5% swing to Labour.

12.20pm State of play after a strong Friday of results for Labour

Labour had gained 173 councillors and eight councils as of late morning on Saturday, while the Tories had lost 448 councillors and 10 councils.

You can get the lowdown on Friday’s results as they happened here, with a summary of key moments at the top of yesterday’s liveblog. Friday saw a string of particularly strong Labour council and regional mayoral results in key general election targets areas on Friday, even as the party lost the Tees mayor race and both Oldham and Kirklees councils amid rows over Gaza.

Labour sources said on Friday evening the party was continuing its winning streak in key battlegrounds needed to win the general election, performing well beyond what is needed in key marginals to gain a majority. It had a nine-point lead over the Tories in the BBC’s current projected national vote share, the same as in 2023, though this could change with further results on Saturday.

The party chalked up significant wins including the third biggest postwar Tory-Labour swing in the Blackpool South by-election. Labour expects to gain the new East Midlands mayoralty and has won the new York and North Yorkshire mayoralty in Rishi Sunak’s “backyard”, and saw off a left challenge for the North East mayoralty.

Read our rolling tally of Labour’s council control gains and losses so far here. Keir Starmer’s party not only reversed past troubles in Hartlepool but also gained control in closely watched battlegrounds such as Hyndburn, Thurrock, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Redditch, Milton Keynes, Cannock Chase, Adur, Tamworth and  Rushmoor – where it has never won a majority before.

Many expect Labour to hold its regional mayoralties today but London could be tight and party sources expects to lose in the West Midlands, after losing the Tees Valley mayoral race, however. The party lost control of Oldham and Kirklees, and lost four seats in Newcastle, with concerns about the party’s Gaza stance costing votes, as well as falling back against the Greens in Bristol narrowly missing out on taking target Harlow.

Sky News analysis also suggests Labour’s results would still fall short of giving it an overall majority – though it is worth noting only a fraction of the country held elections this week, with no polls at all in Scotland, and smaller parties typically perform better at local elections than general elections as tactical voting squeezes their support.

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See more coverage of the 2024 local elections here.

Local election results 2024: National picture

READ MORE: All the councils Labour has gained or lost so far

READ MORE: Friday results as they happened: Key councils and new mayor wins but  Tees and Gaza troubles

READ MORE: Labour paints new metro mayor map red with fresh leaders despite Tees loss

READ MORE: BBC projected national share puts Labour on 34%

READ MORE: Police and crime commissioner election results: Full list of nine Labour gains

READ MORE: Labour ‘must regain Muslims’ trust’ as Gaza hits votes and ‘bigotry’ row erupts

READ MORE: One ‘Karl Marx’ wins a seat for Starmer’s Labour in north-west

Local election results 2024: Inside key battleground campaigns

READ MORE: Bristol results: Alarm for Labour as Greens become largest group

READ MORE: Nuneaton and Bedworth: Key general election bellwether area falls to Labour

READ MORE: Meet Labour’s new North East mayor after defeating Jamie Driscoll

READ MORE: Labour says Tees swing boosts GE chances despite Houchen win

READ MORE: Meet Blackpool South’s new Labour MP after ‘seismic’ landslide

READ MORE: Labour loses Oldham amid ‘Gaza backlash’

READ MORE: Thurrock: Labour calls victory in Leave-voting target seat

READ MORE: Hartlepool: Labour takes control in ‘Red Wall’ town

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