The party lost control of several councils and suffered defeat to the Tories in the Hartlepool by-election…reports Asian Lite News.
A day after Labour Party has suffered huge defeat in the local elections, party deputy leader Angela Rayner has been sacked from her roles as party chair and campaign coordinator.
According to BBC report, leader Sir Keir Starmer is expected to reshuffle his frontbench team in the next few days.
The party lost control of several councils and suffered defeat to the Tories in the Hartlepool by-election.
The local elections held on Thursday, including council and mayoral elections in England, were Labour’s first major test since its crushing defeat at the 2019 general election. It was also a test for Sir Keir Starmer since he took the party leadership last year.
The party suffered a series of setbacks in England, including losing overall control of councils including Durham, Sheffield and Plymouth. The Conservatives also picked up control of several councils, including Nottinghamshire and Basildon, as well as winning Harlow from Labour.
Rayner will remain deputy leader of the party as it is a position directly elected by the party members. She is also expected to be offered another shadow cabinet role, the BBC reported.
Earlier, Keir Starmer said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the result, and “taking full responsibility.” He said, “I will take full responsibility for fixing things.”
The result is a boost for Prime Minister Boris Johnson despite a rocky few months for the premier, with the country’s successful vaccine campaign appearing to be a key factor.
The win will make no difference to Johnson’s influence in the British parliament, however, as his party already holds a majority.
On Friday, the prime minister had travelled to Hartlepool to celebrate his party’s win, hailing the backing of “the fantastic people of the north-east” and saying it gave his government a renewed mandate, the Guardian reported.
The by-election was held on Thursday, the same day as local and mayoral elections across England, and votes for the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments.
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