2024-05-05 20:58:29
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended his policy and called on his fellow Conservative Party members to continue to support him despite the heavy electoral defeats that the opposition Labor Party inflicted on the Tories in the mayoral elections in the UK’s two largest cities, BTA reported.
While there have been voices of discontent within the party, Sunack seems firmly convinced that his administration is the right way for the Tories and Britain to go.
“Of course I’m disappointed with the defeats. But we will continue to work hard to fight Labor and secure a brighter future for our country,” Sunak said.
Yesterday it became clear that Labor won the local elections in the British capital London, where the mayor Sadiq Khan secured an unprecedented third term and in the county of West Midlands (including the second largest city in Great Britain Birmingham – note ed.). The loss in the West Midlands was particularly painful for the Tories as they were hoping for a consolation victory there at least amid disastrous local election results in other parts of Britain.
Suella Braverman, a former British Tory home secretary, was quick to blame the election defeats on Downing Street.
In an op-ed in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, she wrote that replacing Sunak would not solve the problems, but added: “The one who needs to get us out of this crisis is the Prime Minister and it’s time he got to work and to find a way out”.
West Midlands Tory incumbent mayor Andrew Street, who lost the race, urged the prime minister not to veer to the right and continue to follow a moderate political course, which Street said was the recipe that would allow the Tories to regain lost votes.
“I certainly wouldn’t recommend such a turn,” he told Sky News.
The elections held on May 2 brought defeats for the Tories throughout England and a triumph for Labour, who, in addition to London and the West Midlands, won in Liverpool, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
The results show that Labor is in first place in terms of councilors won in England after the vote, and the Conservatives remain in third place, beaten by the Liberal Democrats.