Keir Starmer has described Thursday’s elections as “but a step in the road” towards Labour ’s return to power, as polls suggest the party faces key defeats.
The Labour leader on Wednesday toured the country campaigning for “every last vote” in the swathe of “Super Thursday” council, mayoral and national contests.
As voters go to the polls today, he sets out his five-point plan to put Labour firmly on the path back to power, promising “a brighter, better future for you, your family and your community”.
Writing in the Mirror, he says: “I’m driven by a burning desire to make this country the best place to grow up in and the best place to grow old in, whoever you are and wherever you live.”
But he insisted that rebuilding the party after its worst general election defeat in more than 80 years under Jeremy Corbyn would take time.
Out on the campaign trail, he said: “We’ve got to rebuild into the next general election – that is the task at hand.”
Polls suggest Labour could be hammered in the Hartlepool by-election as the post-Brexit shift continues and the Tories benefit from a “vaccine bounce”.
A defeat there would be a blow to Mr Starmer in what is being seen as a test of Labour’s appeal to its heartlands just over a year after he pledged to rebuild the “red wall”.
But one senior Labour source said: “This was always going to be tough. There is a realignment going on that can’t be stopped in a year – especially during the pandemic.”
Voters will have their say on English councils, the Scottish and Welsh parliaments as well as picking who holds power in city halls and regional mayoralties across England.
It is the largest set of contests outside of a general election after last year’s polls were delayed by Covid.
Boris Johnson, who campaigned on a bike on the Stourbridge canal in the West Midlands, claimed the elections would be “very tough”, despite the party being expected to make gains.
Labour is expected to perform strongly in mayoral votes, including a victory for Sadiq Khan in London.
“King of the North” Andy Burnham is likely to hold Greater Manchester while the party should keep Liverpool, Bristol and a swathe of town councils.
It is also hoping to take the West of England mayoralty. Other targets are seats in councils across the South.
But it will be tested in the West Midlands, where Labour ex-minister Liam Byrne is snapping at the heels of Tory mayor Andy Street.
Some insiders believe Labour could lose overall control of Sunderland and Durham councils for the first time.
The Labour Left has its knives out for Mr Starmer in the event the party suffers heavy defeats as some MPs warned he should “consider his position” and stand aside if he fails to make progress in “red wall” areas.
But former deputy leader Harriet Harman said he should not resign no matter how badly the party fares.
She said: “He’s has been trying to get the party sorted out and back on track so that we can win the confidence of British people.”
The party has been closing the gap in national polls with Tory “sleaze” rows beginning to bite.
In Wales, Labour is expected to remain the biggest party but fall short of an outright majority.
And in Scotland, polls suggest it is too close to call whether the SNP will get an outright majority.
If they do, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said it would give a mandate for another independence referendum.
Mr Johnson dismissed another vote as “irresponsible” given the pandemic.
Labour could overtake the Tories in Scotland to become the second biggest party under Anas Sarwar.
On Thursday, ex-PM Gordon Brown lent his support in Glasgow.
Mr Starmer – seen campaigning in Pontefract with Yvette Cooper and West Yorkshire mayoral candidate Tracy Brabin – said he will be a leader who “carries the can”.
He said: “This is but a step on the road to the next general election.
“My job is to ensure that we get from where we were in December 2019 to a position to win the next general election. I’m utterly determined to do that.”
He added: “I take full responsibility for everything the Labour Party does, including in these elections.
“And for me it’s very important – when things go right, the leader takes the plaudits. When they don’t go right, the leader carries the can.”
