Henry Riley

He's topping the opinion polls still.

He's very serious about that and undoubtedly a very good night for his party.

Well, you're right to highlight Westminster because that really was one of their sort of crown jewel councils.

The same with Wandsworth that was often said to be Margaret Thatcher's favourite council because they, for some years, froze council tax.

And the Conservatives, the largest party, they didn't quite win it back Wandsworth, but they did win Westminster, as you say.

But they are down a huge number of seats.

And look, Kemi Badenoch, as a leader, her personal ratings are above the

conservatives but that's hardly surprising given the drubbing that they received at the last general election here in july of 2024 so i think it's going to be a difficult night for her and and but certainly there won't be questions about her leadership purely because there is that recognition that the party's in a difficult place the last time these councils elected was right after the vaccine and and there was seen to be a sort of vaccine bounce but but really claire we've heard

from the Prime Minister, speaking from a Methodist church today, Sir Keir Starmer, saying that he's going to carry on as leader.

And, you know, when a party leader says something like that, often it can mean the writing's on the wall.

It is.

But, I mean, actually, in some ways, they'll be quite pleased with that.

Because, I mean, there were some, Michael Thrasher as well, another polling expert, was actually predicting it could be as bad as 1,800.

So, ultimately, it's not good.

And we've had Labour MPs.

Yes, they've been critics of Sir Keir Starmer for some time.

But Jonathan Brash, he's in Hartlepool, a real Red Wall area in the north of England, calling for him to resign.

His wife, incidentally, lost a council seat in that area.

You've had...

John Trickett, Corbyn, he was in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet, the previous Labour leader.