From Hartlepool in the red wall to true blue Rushmoor, Labour has made gains across the country. But as Keir Stramer chalks up the wins, he also confronts some setbacks. Oldham council has fallen to no overall control due to the election of seven new independents – and the conflict in the Middle East is emerging as a theme.
One in four Oldham residents is Muslim, with many protesting against Labour’s support for Israel since October. ‘In some parts of the borough, it’s the Gaza issue that may lose them the seat,’ one outgoing Labour councillor told local journalists. The Manchester Evening News is also citing it as a reason for Labour’s losses at the hands of seven independent candidates. This wasn’t a Galloway-style party but a series of individuals who campaigned locally – often on an explicit Gaza platform.
The biggest vote in Oldham went to Aisha Kouser, a first-time councillor who billed
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