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| London mayor election: Labour high hopes for Sadiq Khan win over Zac Goldsmith | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Senior Labour figures began sparring about the meaning of Thursday’s elections from the moment the polls closed on Thursday, with Diane Abbott claiming that a victory for Sadiq Khan in the London mayoral race would be a vindication for Jeremy Corbyn. | Senior Labour figures began sparring about the meaning of Thursday’s elections from the moment the polls closed on Thursday, with Diane Abbott claiming that a victory for Sadiq Khan in the London mayoral race would be a vindication for Jeremy Corbyn. |
| With Labour facing its first nationwide electoral test since Corbyn won the leadership overwhelmingly last year, a win in London could be one of the few bright spots as the results are declared. | With Labour facing its first nationwide electoral test since Corbyn won the leadership overwhelmingly last year, a win in London could be one of the few bright spots as the results are declared. |
| Khan has sought to distance himself from Corbyn during the campaign – including criticising his failure to “get a grip” on antisemitism – and party insiders pointed out that the pair had made few joint appearances, and his leaflets made no mention of the Labour leader. But Abbott said that in the capital “more people have heard of Jeremy than have heard of Sadiq: in London, it’s all about Jeremy”. | Khan has sought to distance himself from Corbyn during the campaign – including criticising his failure to “get a grip” on antisemitism – and party insiders pointed out that the pair had made few joint appearances, and his leaflets made no mention of the Labour leader. But Abbott said that in the capital “more people have heard of Jeremy than have heard of Sadiq: in London, it’s all about Jeremy”. |
| Khan is widely expected to become the first Muslim mayor of London, after a bitter campaign in which his Conservative rival, Zac Goldsmith, was accused of trying to smear him as a “radical”. | Khan is widely expected to become the first Muslim mayor of London, after a bitter campaign in which his Conservative rival, Zac Goldsmith, was accused of trying to smear him as a “radical”. |
| Khan told the Guardian: “Today was a chance for Londoners to vote for hope and unity, not fear and division. Tomorrow I hope our city has a mayor for all Londoners, not a mayor for some.” | Khan told the Guardian: “Today was a chance for Londoners to vote for hope and unity, not fear and division. Tomorrow I hope our city has a mayor for all Londoners, not a mayor for some.” |
| Elsewhere in the country, Labour faces a testing day as the results are declared. Labour could fall into third place in Scotland behind the Conservatives and faces a battle to retain control of Wales. In England, the party is on course to lose scores of council seats, according to the latest opinion polls. | Elsewhere in the country, Labour faces a testing day as the results are declared. Labour could fall into third place in Scotland behind the Conservatives and faces a battle to retain control of Wales. In England, the party is on course to lose scores of council seats, according to the latest opinion polls. |
| Speaking as the polls closed, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: “Labour has fought a strong campaign, working hard for every vote, standing up for working people who have been let down by a Tory party which has shown that they can’t be trusted to stand up for working people.” | Speaking as the polls closed, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: “Labour has fought a strong campaign, working hard for every vote, standing up for working people who have been let down by a Tory party which has shown that they can’t be trusted to stand up for working people.” |
| Oppositions historically tend to make significant gains in local elections as voters use them to attack the government; and Corbyn’s critics inside the party have insisted that it should be chalking up hundreds of gains in local elections at this stage in the parliament. | Oppositions historically tend to make significant gains in local elections as voters use them to attack the government; and Corbyn’s critics inside the party have insisted that it should be chalking up hundreds of gains in local elections at this stage in the parliament. |
| Former minister and Dudley MP Ian Austin said: “We should be making real progress across the country – including winning back disaffected Labour voters who chose the Tories or Ukip in 2015. We’ve been working really hard here in Dudley and we need to win hundreds of seats elsewhere.” | Former minister and Dudley MP Ian Austin said: “We should be making real progress across the country – including winning back disaffected Labour voters who chose the Tories or Ukip in 2015. We’ve been working really hard here in Dudley and we need to win hundreds of seats elsewhere.” |
| Voters up and down the UK went to the polls, with Scotland electing a new government at Holyrood, where Nicola Sturgeon hopes to consolidate the Scottish National party’s grip on power; Wales electing a new assembly, and 2,743 local council seats in England up for grabs. | Voters up and down the UK went to the polls, with Scotland electing a new government at Holyrood, where Nicola Sturgeon hopes to consolidate the Scottish National party’s grip on power; Wales electing a new assembly, and 2,743 local council seats in England up for grabs. |
| There were also two byelections in safe Labour seats: Ogmore in Wales, where Huw Irranca-Davies stepped down to contest a Welsh assembly seat; and Sheffield Brightside, where the sitting MP, Harry Harpham, died earlier this year. Several other cities, including Salford, will elect mayors, and 41 police and crime commissioners will be selected. | There were also two byelections in safe Labour seats: Ogmore in Wales, where Huw Irranca-Davies stepped down to contest a Welsh assembly seat; and Sheffield Brightside, where the sitting MP, Harry Harpham, died earlier this year. Several other cities, including Salford, will elect mayors, and 41 police and crime commissioners will be selected. |
| Labour insiders will be picking over the results for evidence of whether Corbyn’s anti-austerity message is helping the party to make progress towards a general election victory in 2020. | Labour insiders will be picking over the results for evidence of whether Corbyn’s anti-austerity message is helping the party to make progress towards a general election victory in 2020. |
| The Conservatives will also be watching the electoral map carefully, to gauge whether their own loyal voters have been turned off by David Cameron’s enthusiastic endorsement of the remain campaign for the forthcoming EU referendum, which will follow just weeks after Thursday’s polls. | The Conservatives will also be watching the electoral map carefully, to gauge whether their own loyal voters have been turned off by David Cameron’s enthusiastic endorsement of the remain campaign for the forthcoming EU referendum, which will follow just weeks after Thursday’s polls. |
| Cameron’s party has faced a series of setbacks in recent months, including a budget that unravelled within days, as the chancellor withdrew plans for controversial cuts to disability benefits; and business secretary Sajid Javid’s fumbled response to the threatened closure of the Port Talbot steelworks. | Cameron’s party has faced a series of setbacks in recent months, including a budget that unravelled within days, as the chancellor withdrew plans for controversial cuts to disability benefits; and business secretary Sajid Javid’s fumbled response to the threatened closure of the Port Talbot steelworks. |
| Corbyn’s team insist that the vote share in the 2015 general election is the right baseline from which to judge whether they are making progress, arguing that the last time these council seats were contested, under Ed Miliband’s leadership in 2012, was a “high water mark”. But the leader’s critics say he should be getting hundreds of gains. | Corbyn’s team insist that the vote share in the 2015 general election is the right baseline from which to judge whether they are making progress, arguing that the last time these council seats were contested, under Ed Miliband’s leadership in 2012, was a “high water mark”. But the leader’s critics say he should be getting hundreds of gains. |
| Alison McGovern, chair of the Blairite Progress group of MPs, said: “We shouldn’t be losing any councils. Labour is providing real leadership in the face of grim Tory incompetence and austerity. We can’t afford to start losing that.” | Alison McGovern, chair of the Blairite Progress group of MPs, said: “We shouldn’t be losing any councils. Labour is providing real leadership in the face of grim Tory incompetence and austerity. We can’t afford to start losing that.” |
| Some shadow ministers warned on Thursday that the mood among council leaders, even in traditionally safe Labour areas, was bleak, but other MPs said they were upbeat about the possibility of making progress. | Some shadow ministers warned on Thursday that the mood among council leaders, even in traditionally safe Labour areas, was bleak, but other MPs said they were upbeat about the possibility of making progress. |
| Abbott, who had been out door-knocking in Hackney, said: “It’s a lovely day, which is always good, polling is brisk, people are very positive, we’re getting the thumbs-up wherever we go.” | Abbott, who had been out door-knocking in Hackney, said: “It’s a lovely day, which is always good, polling is brisk, people are very positive, we’re getting the thumbs-up wherever we go.” |
| Ian Murray, the shadow Scottish secretary and Labour’s one remaining Scottish MP, sounded an optimistic note about Edinburgh South, the one Holyrood constituency seat Labour believes it can win. | Ian Murray, the shadow Scottish secretary and Labour’s one remaining Scottish MP, sounded an optimistic note about Edinburgh South, the one Holyrood constituency seat Labour believes it can win. |
| “This seat is probably our best chance of winning one in Scotland,” he said. “The weather’s good, the turnout seems to be good in the places where we want it to be.” | “This seat is probably our best chance of winning one in Scotland,” he said. “The weather’s good, the turnout seems to be good in the places where we want it to be.” |
| The final poll of the Scottish election campaign, by YouGov for the Times, recorded a fall in support for the Scottish National party, though it still gave them a sizeable lead over Labour and the Tories, who remain neck and neck in the race for second place. | The final poll of the Scottish election campaign, by YouGov for the Times, recorded a fall in support for the Scottish National party, though it still gave them a sizeable lead over Labour and the Tories, who remain neck and neck in the race for second place. |
| With Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson confidently predicting her party will come second, Scottish Labour’s leader, Kezia Dugdale, is now facing the possible embarrassment of guiding her party to third place at a Holyrood election, which would put Labour behind the Tories in Scotland for the first time in more than a century. That will immediately raise challenges to her continued leadership of the party, and fuel further attacks on Corbyn’s leadership at UK level. | With Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson confidently predicting her party will come second, Scottish Labour’s leader, Kezia Dugdale, is now facing the possible embarrassment of guiding her party to third place at a Holyrood election, which would put Labour behind the Tories in Scotland for the first time in more than a century. That will immediately raise challenges to her continued leadership of the party, and fuel further attacks on Corbyn’s leadership at UK level. |
| Shadow ministerial sources said there was very little chance of a coup against Corbyn until after the EU referendum poll on 23 June, however. One said Dan Jarvis and Angela Eagle both appeared to be “organising hard” and people associated with them were having “hypothetical conversations” with MPs about support if they were to challenge Corbyn. | Shadow ministerial sources said there was very little chance of a coup against Corbyn until after the EU referendum poll on 23 June, however. One said Dan Jarvis and Angela Eagle both appeared to be “organising hard” and people associated with them were having “hypothetical conversations” with MPs about support if they were to challenge Corbyn. |
| One Labour MP said the only exception to that would be if Sadiq Khan loses in London, the party loses control in Wales and comes third in Scotland in a toxic combination of bad results that could trigger shadow cabinet resignations. | One Labour MP said the only exception to that would be if Sadiq Khan loses in London, the party loses control in Wales and comes third in Scotland in a toxic combination of bad results that could trigger shadow cabinet resignations. |