London mayor Khan wins record third term as Tories trounced in local polls

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00 Cheers and applause as Labour's Sadiq Khan won a record third term as Mayor of London.

00:06 It marks another blow for Rishi Sunak's Conservatives, who are facing dismal local election results

00:12 ahead of an expected general election. Khan urged the Prime Minister to call a vote.

00:17 "It's time for Rishi Sunak to give the public a choice. A general election will not just

00:24 pave the path to a new direction for our country, but it will make bold action Londoners want

00:30 to see a reality."

00:33 The Labour Party also won mayoral polls in central England. In the West Midlands, Richard

00:38 Parker beat his Conservative opponent Andy Street, a surprise win that was welcomed by

00:43 Labour Party leader Keir Starmer.

00:45 "The Tories felt that they were entitled to victory here, that they could use Andy Street

00:51 as some sort of crutch for Rishi Sunak's weak leadership, and that they didn't have to be

00:56 in touch with the priorities of the people. We ran a completely different campaign. We

01:01 were grounded in the priorities of the people that we now represent in the West Midlands."

01:08 One of the areas of Tory success, meanwhile, was Tees Valley in northern England, where

01:13 Ben Houchen was re-elected as mayor. In local council elections, the Conservatives have

01:19 lost nearly 500 seats, while Labour has gained almost 200 and the Lib Dems just over 100.

01:26 According to opinion polls, Labour will come out on top in the next national election,

01:31 which Sunak says he intends to call later this year.

Category

Transcript

Recommended