British Labor feel the wind in the stern in view of the next national elections, and hope to return to power after 14 years of absence. To give confidence to the party led by Keir Starmer the results of the local elections in the United Kingdom who marked a blow for the conservative party of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, even if the war in Gaza could complicate a possible return to Downing Street.
Saturday (May 4) the final data arrived who confirmed the wide victory of the opposition, in particular in London where Sadiq Khan won a third term. In the British capital, the outgoing mayor, the first non -white, of foreign origins (the parents are immigrants from Pakistan) and Muslim, was widely re -elected with 43.8% of the votes by beating the conservative Susan Hall (32.7%). Khan said he was “honored” and “proud” and hoped that this year “is a year of great changes” with “a future Labor government”.
Worse defeat in 40 years
But if London has always been a Labor stronghold, they are the national data that have painted a rather dark picture for the Trieste, having recorded the worst defeat of the last 40 years, with the voters called to vote in a supplementary election (won by the Labor) and to renew some of the thousands of local councilors in England and Wales, as well as eleven mayors.
London hard line: migrants raked to deport them to Rwanda
In total, the Labor has gained more than 180 seats and will guide eight more local advice, while the conservatives have lost more than 470 seats and the control of at least ten local councils. The substantial earnings of the Labor opposition increase the hopes of seeing his leader Starmer a downing street after the general elections of this year. “Today we celebrate the beginning of a new chapter, one of the last steps before the general elections,” said the leader of the opposition to Mansfield, in the Oriental Midlands, where he was celebrating the election of the Labor Mayor Clare Clare Ward. “We turn the decline page and launch the national renewal with the Labor,” he added, promising in particular to reconstruct the health system in difficulty.
Sunak, who is facing divisions within his ranks, has again defended his policies, in particular his deportation plan of immigrants to Rwanda and his tax cuts. “Only conservatives have a plan for the country,” he claimed in an article published by the conservative newspaper The Telegraph. But to launch an alarm bell for him there is also the rise of reform UK, the nationalist and populist party founded by the Brexit champion Nigel Farage, which pushes the most extreme fringes of his party to a further turning right to stop the bleeding of votes.
The Gaza knot
But even for the Labor they are not just roses and flowers. The party must face a strong opposition of a part of the base, caused by Starmer’s position on the war in Gaza, considered by some of his voters too favorable to Israel. The leader made the fight against anti -Semitism one of his flags, after years of controversy on the theme at the time of Jeremy Corbin, and for this reason the theme of support for Tel Aviv is very delicate. But the data show that there was a drop of almost 18% of the Labor vote in the areas of England where more than a fifth of people identify itself as Muslim.
The victory of the independent candidate and Pro Palestine shakes British politics
Just in one of those areas in March George Galloway, independent candidate and Pro Palestine, had given a taste of what could happen to the national elections by winning a seat of deputy in Westminster in the supplementary elections in the Rochdale district. The long -term politician, already deputy several times in the past, had based much of his propaganda on criticism of the Labor position against Israel and on the support for Palestine, a strategy that then proved to be a winner. “Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza,” he said after the victory.
Little enthusiasm
In general John Curtice, professor of political science, speaking to the press agency France Presse He explained that in his opinion in the local elections the Labor benefited more than the “desire by the voters to beat the conservatives” than a true “enthusiasm” against him, underlining that the turnout remained low (less than 30% in most local elections). The progressive newspaper Guardianalways close to the Labor, he stressed that the success “has not turned into the avalanche” for the limited attraction of Starmer’s moderatism, for the failure to break through some urban areas and precisely for the disappointment of millions of voters (especially of Muslim origin) traditionally lined up on the left compared to the position of the party on the war in Gaza.
