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.
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.
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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 London after taking the prestigious Tory borough of Westminster. AP -
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”.
