"Catastrophe' for Tories as mayor loses West Midlands

Tory mayor Andy Street was last night defeated in the crucial battle for the West Midlands in a result that has left Rishi Sunak's premiership hanging by a thread.

- DAVID MADDOX, ZOE GRUNEWALD

The defeat follows a difficult campaign for the Tories with narrowing polls and party turmoil as well as increasing questions over the prime minister's leadership. The Labour Party declared that the victory in the West Midlands would herald a "wipeout" of Tory MPs in the general election.

Mr Street was defeated by a margin of just 1,508 votes to Labour's Richard Parker - 225,590 to 224,082 - but his defeat has had repercussions for his party across the country. A Tory MP messaged The Independent with one word: "Catastrophe!"

A Labour source admitted that their own early predictions that Mr Street had just held on to the key region had proven to be wrong. The source said: "Even if we ran them very close it's an almost certain wipeout for the Tories at the general election."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "This phenomenal result was beyond our expectations. People across the country have had enough of Conservative chaos and decline and voted for change with Labour. Our fantastic new mayor Richard Parker stands ready to deliver a fresh start for the West Midlands.

"My changed Labour Party is back in the service of working people, and stands ready to govern. Labour will turn the page after 14 years of Tory decline and usher in a decade of national renewal. That change starts today."

While victory by Tory Teesside mayor Ben Houchen on Friday had calmed calls by plotters for Mr Sunak to be replaced, yesterday's results in London and the West Midlands have reopened the debate into whether he is the right man to lead the Conservatives into the election.