Westminster council falls to Labour in local elections

Opposition wins the home of Mayfair, the Ritz and David Cameron from Conservatives, presenting danger for Boris Johnson's leadership

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks to supporters in Barnet, London, Friday May 6, 2022, after the party clinched victory in Barnet in local government elections. People in Britain voted Thursday in local elections that will decide the makeup of local authorities across the country — and possibly the fate of embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (Jonathan Brady / PA via AP)Show less

The Conservatives have lost the prestigious borough of Westminster for the first time, marking a significant decline in their London support.

It is a council area that is home to the wealth of the Ritz Hotel, Mayfair and Parliament itself and a borough that the Tories have held since its creation in 1964. It even holds the home of David Cameron, the former Conservative prime minister.

But the wave of support for Labour in the local elections that has swept through the capital for a decade has now reached the Westminster housing estates and homes, carrying with it other Tory strongholds of Wandsworth and Barnet.

In the fallout from the Partygate scandal, in which the Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fined for attending an illegal lockdown party in Downing Street, the Conservatives had been quietly suggesting that Westminster would be lost.

Labour's Adam Hug celebrates after the his party gained leadership of Westminster City Council in UK local elections. Reuters

But the Labour victory across London — along with gains elsewhere for the party and the Liberal Democrats — could spell a moment of danger for Mr Johnson.

A former cabinet minister has already given a warning that the poor showing in Britain’s local elections could provide the “tinder” to ignite a move against Mr Johnson’s leadership.

When Parliament returns on Tuesday, there may well be more letters submitted by Conservative MPs that could trigger a vote of no confidence.

So far, cabinet ministers are rallying around the prime minister, perhaps fearful that their posts could be in jeopardy if he decides on a reshuffle.

British Labour Party candidates and supporters celebrate after making gains in the Westminster City Council elections in London. Reuters

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to supporters in Barnet, north London, on Friday, where the party clinched victory in the polls. PA

Prime Minister Boris Johnson paints with children during a visit to a school in South Ruislip on Friday, after the local government elections. PA

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey celebrates the party's gains at Wimbledon Common in London. PA

Ballot boxes are opened at the Glasgow City Council building in Scotland. PA

London Mayor Sadiq Khan celebrates during the counting process at Wandsworth Town Hall in London. Reuters

Election staff begin to count votes in Belfast after the Northern Ireland Assembly election. AP

Candidates and observers monitor the counting process at Lindley Hall in Westminster. Reuters

Members of the counting staff rest at Lindley Hall in Westminster. Reuters

Labour candidates and supporters celebrate as the votes are counted at Peterborough Arena. PA

Election officials at Peterborough Arena during the local government elections. PA

Volunteers sort ballot papers before counting at Basildon Sporting Village in Essex. PA

An election monitor wears a Labour Party rosette at Wandsworth Town Hall in London. Reuters

Ballots are counted at Wandsworth Town Hall in London. Reuters

Ballot papers are counted at Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre in Sunderland. Getty

The first ballot boxes arrive at Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre in Sunderland. Getty

The first ballot papers are counted in Sunderland. Getty

Ballot boxes are emptied at the Guildhall in Hull. PA

Messages are left outside a polling station on Glen Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Reuters

A woman hands out leaflets in support of the Traditional Unionist Voice party in Belfast. EPA

Polling stations across Northern Ireland were open for voting for the 2022 assembly election. EPA

A woman attaches a sign on the wall of a polling station in London. Reuters

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer should not get too excited by the London results, said Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde.

“Labour can’t win Westminster Parliament by simply winning Westminster council,” the professor told the BBC on Friday.

Meanwhile, Adam Hug, the incoming leader of the Westminster authority, has promised a “root-and-branch revolution of everything the council does”.