Heavy losses for the Johnson Conservatives in the local elections in Britain

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has lost its traditional stronghold in the London area and lost local elections elsewhere, according to preliminary results released today as voters seem to have punished the coalition over a series of bio-scandals. level.

The Tories lost at Watsworth, their stronghold in 1978. They also lost Barnett, where they had won all the consecutive elections since 1964 with just two exceptions.

The Labor Party believes it has won – for the first time – Westminster, the district where most government institutions are based.

Daniel Thomas, the outgoing leader of the Barnett council, saw the result as a “warning shot by Conservative voters”.

The full results, which are expected to be announced later today, will be a first reflection of public opinion since 2019, when the Tories secured their largest majority in the House of Commons for more than 30 years.

This is the first election test for Boris Johnson since becoming the first head of government in modern UK history to break the law. Last month, he was fined for attending a birthday party at his office in 2020, violating social distance measures imposed to prevent the new coronavirus pandemic from spreading.

Preliminary results show that the Conservative Party lost 92 seats on local councils, the Labor Party won 23 and the Liberal Democrats 42.

The heavy losses in London local councils – of which the Tories were almost completely eliminated – are expected to further increase the pressure on Mr Johnson, who has been fighting for his political survival in recent months and faces the risk of being imposed. and other fines from police for lockdown violations.

The election on Thursday saw 7,000 seats on local councils: one in London, one in Scotland and one in Wales, one-third in most of the rest of England.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ