Election results: PM hails 'very encouraging' wins as Conservatives win councils and a key by-election
Boris Johnson claims victories in results so far reflect voters' backing of the government's levelling-up agenda.
Saturday 8 May 2021 00:56, UK
Boris Johnson has said the election results so far are "very encouraging" and prove voters want his government "to get on with delivering" the levelling-up agenda.
It comes after the Conservatives secured key victories over Labour in the Hartlepool by-election, retained control of the Tees Valley mayoralty with a significantly increased majority, and took control of a number of councils in the West Midlands.
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On a visit to Hartlepool to congratulate the Conservative candidate Jill Mortimer, who overturned the majority in what was once a Labour stronghold, the prime minister said the vaccine roll-out and economic recovery were his top priorities.
"What happened in 2019 was that people mandated us to get Brexit done and to begin the process of uniting and levelling up.
"I think what's happened now is they can see we did get Brexit done and to a certain extent they can see we delivered on that.
"I think what people want us to do now is get on with delivering on everything else. And so, number one is continuing the vaccine rollout - making sure we go from jabs, jabs, jabs to jobs, jobs, jobs.
"Make sure we have a strong economic recovery. But then get on with a massive project for this country - and it is a very ambitious thing.
"Every government has tried it to some extent but I don't think any government has tried it as wholeheartedly as this government is trying. And that is uniting and levelling up."
Ms Mortimer, who will now become Hartlepool's new MP, took more than half of all votes at the by-election as the Tories leapfrogged Labour from second place in the constituency at the 2019 general election.
The result boosts the prime minister's majority in the House of Commons and also hands him another brick in Labour's "red wall" following the inroads he made at the 2019 general election.
The Hartlepool vote - as well as Thursday's local elections, for which the results are continuing to be counted - were Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's first major electoral test after just over a year as Labour leader.
And the by-election defeat focused scrutiny on his performance over the last 12 months, with critics from Labour's left wing seizing on the result to urge Sir Keir to adapt his strategy.
Ben Houchen was returned as Tees Valley mayor courtesy of a landslide victory, garnering 73% of the vote.
The Tories took Harlow from Labour and gained Basildon, Maidstone, Cornwall, Dudley, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Nottinghamshire, Pendle and Northumberland from no overall control.
Labour also lost control of Sheffield, Rossendale and Plymouth councils to no overall control.
But there was a setback for the party in Cambridgeshire, where it lost the council to no overall control, while the party also lost control of Castle Point in Essex.
With results in from 69 out of 143 councils, the Conservatives had a net gain of seven councils and an extra 166 seats, while Labour had lost control of four authorities and 150 seats.