Elections 2021 recap: Keir Starmer says Labour has lost voters’ ‘trust’, Nicola Sturgeon keeps Glasgow seat

Results and reactions from across the political spectrum after the bumper set of elections which took place across the UK yesterday.
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The Conservatives pulled off a shock by-election victory, and took control of several councils in England, with many results yet to be announced.

After bumper set of elections yesterday, including devolved parliamentary seats in Scotland and Wales, mayoral races in England and Police and Crime Commissioners, the government has enjoyed a series of successful results.

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However, it was a night to forget for Labour with council seats lost across England and a humiliating by-election defeat in Hartlepool.

Here’s a round-up of how the day unfolded – for the latest results, go to National World’s politics section.

Local Elections 2021: Results and reactions as Hartlepool turns blue and Labour loses council seats across England

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister keeps his seat

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney has retained his seat in Perthshire North, polling a total of 19,860 votes and extending his majority over the Conservatives.

Tory candidate Murdo Fraser came in second with 15,807 votes, followed by Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Swinney said he was “absolutely over the moon” to be re-elected to the Scottish Parliament again.

SNP maintains narrow hold in Banffshire and Buchan

SNP candidate Karen Adam has narrowly retained the party’s seat in the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency, securing 14,920 votes - just ahead of the 14,148 votes for the Tories’ Mark Findlater.

In 2016, the SNP’s lead in the seat was 6,683 - now narrowed to just 772.

In third place was Labour, followed by the Liberal Democrats.

Nicola Sturgeon keeps Glasgow Southside seat

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has retained her Glasgow Southside constituency in the Scottish Parliament election.

The First Minister played down chances of an overall SNP majority earlier in the day, saying:

“A majority has always been a very, very long shot – the Holyrood system is a proportional representation system, in 2011 we effectively broke that system.

“It would be good to do but I have never taken that for granted, that has always been on a knife edge – a small number of votes in a small number of seats – so we’ll wait and see how the votes will pan out over today and tomorrow.

“At this stage … I’m feeling extremely happy and extremely confident that we’re on track in the SNP for a fourth consecutive election victory and to have the ability to form a government again.

“That’s an extraordinary achievement for any political party and if that is how the results end, and that is how the election turns out, then I’ll be ready and eager to get back to work on behalf of the people of Scotland.”

Starmer: Hartlepool result was ‘bitterly disappointing'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said that he will do “whatever it takes” to rebuild trust in the party following its “bitterly disappointing” by-election defeat in Hartlepool.

Starmer: ‘We have not made a strong enough case to the country'

“Very often we have been talking to ourselves instead of to the country and we have lost the trust of working people, particularly in places like Hartlepool. I intend to do whatever is necessary to fix that.

“This is not a question of left or right, it is a question of whether we’re facing the country.

“We have changed as a party. We have not made a strong enough case to the country.”

Sir Keir Starmer