London: In a major setback for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Conservatives are heading towards heavy losses in an array of local election results announced on Friday, further raising the chances of the main opposition Labour Party to return to power after 14 years in the upcoming general elections. The Labour won control of councils in England it hadn’t held for decades and was successful in a special by-election for Parliament.
The victory for the opposition in Thursday’s elections raised more pressure on Sunak and set the tone for what will be a closely watched two days of local results before a national election this year, in which polls predict Labour leader Keir Starmer coming to power and defeat the Conservatives by its worst-ever margins to date. These local elections were one of the final tests for Sunak, who has been under pressure from his own party due to several issues, including a cost-of-living crisis.