Is Starmer falling short?

As the local election results trickle in, Labour has plenty to shout about when it comes to London. The party has taken Westminster, Wandsworth and Barnet from the Tories, in a blow to the Conservatives. Given these are high-profile victories – Wandsworth was Thatcher’s favourite council and Westminster has never been Labour – it’s understandable that the results are leading the news. But outside of London, with 73 out of 146 councils counted, Labour is actually looking at a net loss of seats (down six) with not much signs of winning back the ‘red wall’. So what’s the wider picture for Starmer? 

There’s no disputing that the Tories have had a tough night (that’s likely to get worse in the coming hours) but the question is how far Labour is able to benefit – and pick up what the Tories lose. Given partygate and the cost of living crisis, there were low expectations.