Where do the by-election results leave Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer? The Labour leader had been hoping for a victory parade but his party’s failure to secure Uxbridge – with the Tories clinging on by under 500 votes – has led to Labour unrest. Rather than tour the media studios with a single message that Labour are on the cusp of power following their decisive victory in Selby, both Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner used broadcast interviews to take aim at Sadiq Khan. The pair cited Ulez – ultra low emission zones – as why they lost, and suggested it shows what happens when politicians don’t listen to voters, something of which Khan ought to take note. Ulez became a cost of living issue.
While there is an argument that the result will make it easier for Starmer and his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves to further tone down the green message (the national policy forum is this weekend), others in the party are bemused by the comments on Friday – which served to highlight tensions between Starmer and the London mayor rather than aim fire at the Tories.
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