Local election 2021 RESULTS LIVE – Starmer admits ‘we’ve lost trust of working people’ as Tories tear down Labour wall

MATT HANCOCK CELEBRATES TORY WIN IN TEES VALLEY

Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: “Huge congratulations to (Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen) on his re-election.

“Ben is driving up jobs & investment, building more homes & working with me to invest in the NHS in the Tees Valley.

“The (Conservatives) are delivering on the people’s priorities.”

TORIES EXPECTING TO LOSE EDINBURGH CENTRAL TO SNP’S ANGUS ROBERTSON

The Scottish Conservatives expect to lose their Edinburgh Central seat to the SNP after record numbers of voters turned out to vote in the Scottish capital.

Scottish Labour’s Daniel Johnson has also said he is confident of retaining his Edinburgh Southern seat, while in Edinburgh Western fellow incumbent – Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton – also expects to be returned to Holyrood.

Turnout in three of Edinburgh’s Holyrood constituencies – Central, Southern and Western – were all higher than at any other Scottish Parliament election.

With voting still under way, the Scottish Tories were downbeat about their chances of holding Edinburgh Central, the seat won in 2016 by former leader Ruth Davidson.

The seat was contested by the SNP’s former deputy leader Angus Robertson, who was the party’s former leader at Westminster before losing his Moray seat at the 2017 general election.

IAN BLACKFORD CONGRATULATES FORMER SNP MP FOR WINNING HOLYROOD SEAT

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has congratulated Neil Gray, a former SNP MP who has remained in the same constituency but moved from Westminster to Holyrood by winning Airdrie & Shotts for the party as an MSP.

“Delighted for my pal (Neil Gray) winning Airdrie and Shotts and entering the Scottish Parliament,” Mr Blackford tweeted.

“We will miss him from Westminster. He will be a first-class addition to the Scottish Parliament.”

SCOTTISH LIB DEMS: ‘NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM’

Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie said “now is not the moment” for another Scottish independence referendum as he held his North East Fife seat.

Mr Rennie won 22,163 votes, compared to SNP candidate Rhuaraidh Fleming, who took 14,715.

Speaking after holding onto his seat, Mr Rennie said: “I hope all the candidates in this election hear the message from the voters that now is not the moment for another referendum.

“We need to listen to that.”

WATCH: SIR KEIR STARMER VOWS TO STAY ON AS LABOUR LEADER DESPITE LOCAL ELECTION DISASTER

STURGEON ADDRESSES RACISM AFTER SHE WAS ACCOSTED BY JAYDA FRANSEN IN GLASGOW YESTERDAY

Nicola Sturgeon also addressed the confrontation on polling day when she was accosted in the street by the former deputy leader of Britain First, Jayda Fransen, who stood as an independent in Glasgow Southside.

Speaking after winning the constituency while Ms Fransen secured 46 votes, Ms Sturgeon said: “Yesterday, not for the first time, the constituency was targeted by far-right thugs.

“The far-right thug who led that confrontation got 46 votes and I’m proud that once again Glasgow Southside has shown the racists and the fascists that they are not welcome in Glasgow Southside, they are not welcome in Glasgow and they are not welcome anywhere in Scotland and let that be a note of unity.”

On Thursday Ms Sturgeon called convicted criminal Ms Fransen “racist” after she accused the First Minister of “flooding” the country with immigrants.

STARMER: LABOUR PARTY NEEDS TO ‘STOP QUARELLING AMONGST OURSELVES’

Sir Keir Starmer said Labour needed to stop “quarrelling among ourselves” and move beyond factional disputes following the defeat in the Hartlepool by-election and defeats at local authority level.

The party leader told broadcasters: “This is not a question of left or right. It is a question of whether we are facing the country.

“We have changed as a party but we’ve not made a strong enough case to the country, we’ve lost that connection, that trust, and I intend to rebuild that and do whatever is necessary to rebuild that trust.”

Pressed on what that change would look like, he added: “It means stopping as a party quarrelling among ourselves, looking internally and facing the country and setting out that bold vision for a better Britain and changing the things that need changing.

“That is the change I will bring about.”

WATCH: NICOLA STURGEON BLASTS RACIST AS SNP LEADER RE-ELECTED AS GLASGOW SOUTHSIDE MSP

SHAPPS: DON’T BOOK A HOLIDAY WITHOUT A REFUND GUARANTEE

Mr Shapps has said that people should not be booking a holiday unless it comes with a refund which applies to a change due to the pandemic.

FIRST SEAT CHANGES HANDS IN HOLYROOD ELECTION AS SNP MAKES GAIN

The SNP has won the East Lothian constituency from Labour, the first to change hands in this election.

Paul McLennan won 17,968 votes in the seat, which was held by former Labour leader Iain Gray until his retirement this year.

Mr Gray boasted a majority of 1,127, but after a 2.58% swing that has now shifted to a 1,179-vote lead for the SNP.

Scottish Labour candidate Martin Whitfield won 16,789 votes with a turnout of 69%.

In the last parliamentary term, the SNP held 63 seats, just two shy of an overall majority.

MATT HANCOCK CELEBRATES TORY WIN IN TEES VALLEY

Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: “Huge congratulations to (Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen) on his re-election.

“Ben is driving up jobs & investment, building more homes & working with me to invest in the NHS in the Tees Valley.

“The (Conservatives) are delivering on the people’s priorities.”

MANCHESTER: VOTE COUNTING YET TO BEGIN

Counting of votes for the local elections in Manchester has yet to start.

All the results were expected to be in by 5pm but the PA news agency has been told verification of votes for the Manchester City Council elections and the Greater Manchester mayoral elections is taking longer than anticipated.

Voting papers for both elections were put in the same ballot boxes and must be separated and checked by returning officers before the count can start.

STARMER SAYS HE CAN ‘RECONNECT’ WITH LABOUR VOTERS

Sir Keir Starmer said he was up to the job of being Labour leader and that he will set out a plan to “reconnect” the party to voters.

He said: “I intend not only to take responsibility for the results, but to take responsibility for fixing things.

“I will set out what change is needed over the next few days, but I’m absolutely clear in my mind and absolutely determined to do whatever is necessary to fix things and to make sure we can make that case to the country in a compelling way.

He went on: “I will set out what we need to do to reconnect the Labour Party to the voters that have cast their verdict on us last night, particularly in places like Hartlepool.”

SCOTTISH LIB DEMS: ‘NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM’

Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie said “now is not the moment” for another Scottish independence referendum as he held his North East Fife seat.

Mr Rennie won 22,163 votes, compared to SNP candidate Rhuaraidh Fleming, who took 14,715.

Speaking after holding onto his seat, Mr Rennie said: “I hope all the candidates in this election hear the message from the voters that now is not the moment for another referendum.

“We need to listen to that.”

RATTLED STARMER DENIES LABOUR IS FACING ‘AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS’

Asked if the Labour Party was facing an existential crisis, Sir Keir Starmer said “no”.

He added: “The Labour Party has to rise to the challenge of reconnecting with working people.

“We were set up to represent working people, we need to reconnect, rebuild that trust.

“That means learning the lessons of the results that are in so far and putting a much stronger and bolder case to the country.”

THINKING ‘BOUT EU

The Labour boss is deep in thought tonight as he thinks about what’s just happened.

STURGEON PLEDGES TO ‘GET BACK TO WORK STRAIGHT AWAY’ IF SNP BAGS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE TERM

Speaking after retaining her Glasgow Southside seat in the Holyrood election, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said: “At this stage I am extremely happy that the SNP appears to be on course for a fourth consecutive election victory and to be on course to have the privilege of forming a government again.

“If that is indeed the outcome of this election I pledge today to get back to work immediately to continue to steer this country through the crisis of Covid, to lead this country into recovery from Covid, and then, when the time is right, to offer this country the choice of a better future.”

SNP SET FOR ‘HISTORIC’ FOURTH TERM AT HOLYROOD, JOHN SWINNEY SAYS

The SNP will be the “leading and largest party” in the new Scottish Parliament, Deputy First Minister John Swinney has declared – though he said it is still too early to say if the party will win an overall majority at Holyrood.

Mr Swinney, also the Education Secretary in the Scottish Government, comfortably held his Perthshire North seat, increasing his majority over the Tories.

His was among the first handful of seats to declare as votes were counted after polling day on Thursday.

The coronavirus pandemic meant that traditional overnight counting was impossible, with the results instead being announced over the course of Friday and Saturday.

Mr Swinney said the SNP – led by Nicola Sturgeon – is on track for an “historic” fourth term in power at Holyrood.

SCOTLAND: SNP CURRENTLY ON 15 SEATS

SNP currently has 15 of the 65 seats needed to win a majority in Holyrood.

EARLY INDICATIONS SUGGEST LABOUR MAKING GAINS IN WALES – MARK DRAKEFORD

Mark Drakeford said early indications that Labour was performing well across the country reflected the “real enthusiasm” he had encountered on doorsteps, despite polling earlier during the election campaign suggesting the party faced its worst-ever performance.

Mr Drakeford said: “I started this campaign answering questions as to why this was going to be Labour’s worst-ever result, a poll prediction of 22 seats.

“The campaign never felt like that to me.

“We’ve had a fantastic and energetic campaign with hundreds of people involved and real enthusiasm on the doorstep, so that never seemed to me to genuinely reflect the mood here in Wales.

“But we don’t have results yet, so we’ll reserve our enthusiasms and excitement for when the time comes that we’ve got real results in the ballot box.”

POLICE CONFRONTATION IN GLASGOW COUNT (CONTINUED…)

It comes after anti-vaxxer Jackson, who was joined by three colleagues, appeared to also do Nazi style salutes inside and outside the venue.  

Mr Yousaf told reporters: “They made a beeline for me asking me all sorts of questions about child rape in Pakistan.

“They would not do that to someone of your [white] colour of skin. They got a very robust response.

“They then asked me about hate crime laws and being able to say things in their own home. 

“I told them to say whatever they want in their own home but don’t be a homophobe, a transphobe, Islamophobe, antisemite or a racist.”

POLICE CALLED IN AS ‘LIBERAL’ CANDIDATES IN GLASGOW COUNT DO NAZI SALUTES AMID CLAIMS OF RACISM

Humza Yousaf accused a candidate of being racist after he targeted him with abuse and appeared to do Nazi style salutes at the election count.

The SNP justice secretary hit out at Liberal Party candidate Deek Jackson for targeting him with questions about child rape in Pakistan at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena.

Read more here.

GLASGOW SOUTH SIDE RESULTS

• Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) 19,735 (60.15%, -1.23%)
• Anas Sarwar (Lab) 10,279 (31.33%, +8.47%)
• Kyle Thornton (C) 1,790 (5.46%, -6.99%)
• Carole Ford (LD) 504 (1.54%, -1.76%)
• Carol Dobson (FA) 204 (0.62%)
• Greg Energy Adviser (ND) 147 (0.45%)
• Deek Jackson (Lib) 102 (0.31%)
• Jayda Fransen (Ind) 46 (0.14%)
• SNP maj 9,456 (28.82%)
• 4.85% swing SNP to Lab

THE STATE OF PLAY

Here’s the latest results in, as it stands…

The Tories are up, and Labour are down in terms of council seats.

STIURGEON WINS GLASGOW SOUTHSIDE

Nicola Sturgeon has taken the Glasgow Southside constituency.