Local elections results – live: Andy Street loses tight West Midland race as Sadiq Khan wins third London term

Five Conservatives were elected to the London Assembly in the city-wide top-up list, including defeated mayoral candidate Susan Hall, and Lord Shaun Bailey, who was beaten by Sadiq Khan in 2021.

Emma Best, Andrew Boff and Alessandro Georgiou were also elected, along with Greens Sian Berry, Caroline Russell and Zack Polanski, and Elly Baker (Labour), Hina Bokhari (Liberal Democrat) and Alex Wilson (Reform UK).

Labour had 951,056 votes in the London-wide contest (38.40%), with the Conservatives on 648,269 (26.17%), Greens 286,746 (11.58%), Lib Dems 215,682 (8.71%) and Reform UK 145,409 (5.87%).

The Labour majority was 302,787 (12.23%) and there was a 2.41% swing from Conservative to Labour.

The result means the political make-up of the assembly is Labour, 11, Conservatives, eight, Greens three, Lib Dems two and Reform UK one.

Richard Parker said people “up and down the country” are calling for a general election.

He said: “Up and down the country people are looking for a fresh start; I hope the Prime Minister is watching as well, because if you haven’t heard Rishi Sunak, our people are calling for a general election.

“I will get this region’s future back, and a Labour mayor working with a Labour government will help get Britain’s future back.”

Labour’s Richard Parker defeated Conservative Andy Street to become West Midlands Mayor by just 1,508 votes – 0.25%.

He secured 225,590 votes with Mr Street on 224,082 and Akhmed Yakoob (Independent) on 69,621 (11.66%).

Elaine Williams (Reform) secured 34,471 votes (5.77%), while Siobhan Harper-Nunes (Green) was on 31,036 (5.20%) and Sunny Virk (Lib Dem) was last on 12,176 (2.04%) – with the turnout 29.57%.

Conservative candidate for the West Midlands mayoralty Andy Street has warned the party not to drift to the right and that “winning from the centre ground is what happens”.

After his defeat was announced, Mr Street told Sky News “it was my campaign, I ran it my way” and said he is “proud of how we’ve build this brand of conservatism here”.

He said: “The thing everyone should take from Birmingham and the West Midlands tonight is this brand of moderative, inclusive, tolerant conservatism, that gets on and delivered, has come within an ace of beating the Labour Party in what they considered to be their backyard – that’s the message from here tonight.”

Asked if he is worried the party is drifting to the right and over-emphasising the threat from Reform UK while “ignoring other voters”, he said: “I would definitely not advise that drift.

“The psychology here is really very straight forward isn’t it: this is the youngest, most diverse, one of the most urban places in Britain and we’ve done, many would say, extremely well over a consistent period.

“The message is clear: winning from that centre ground is what happens.”

Sir Keir Starmer said the West Midlands mayor poll result was a vindication of hard work, adding: “It was always going to be tight – you had an incumbent mayor who was distancing himself from the Government.

“We have never won this mayoralty before. But, look, where we have not been able to persuade people that might otherwise have voted Labour – it is important for me to acknowledge that and say I’ve heard.”

Calling for a general election as soon as possible, Sir Keir added that the Labour Party was a party of service, while the Tories represented chaos.

He said of the people of the West Midlands: “We have shown that our values are their values. We humbly asked them to put their trust and confidence in a changed Labour Party and they did.

“And that is a significant piece of political history that we’ve made here today.”

Rishi Sunak admitted it was “disappointing” that Andy Street lost, but insisted the country was “turning a corner” and that his party’s plan “is working”.

In a statement, the Prime Minister said: “After a tough few years in the aftermath of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, we as a nation are turning a corner. Our plan is working with inflation more than halved, tax cuts worth an average of £900 hitting people’s pockets, state pensions protected with our triple lock, our Rwanda bill signed into law, allowing us to start detaining illegal migrants ready for the first flights, legal migration down and defence spending boosted. We Conservatives understand the priorities of the British people and are delivering on them.

“It’s been disappointing of course to lose dedicated Conservative councillors and Andy Street in the West Midlands, with his track record of providing great public services and attracting significant investment to the area, but that has redoubled my resolve to continue to make progress on our plan. So we will continue working as hard as ever to take the fight to Labour and deliver a brighter future for our country.

“It is as clear that Labour just don’t have a plan. They have no plan to defend our nation, no plan to stop the boats and no plan to grow the economy. They are a soft touch and would take us back to square one.

“So by sticking to the plan we will secure our borders, grow the economy and create opportunities so everyone in this great country can thrive and prosper.”

All election results for Saturday have now been declared, with the final three due on Sunday.

They are Salford Council and Kent and Sussex police and crime commissioners, with the results all due in the afternoon.

Sir Keir Starmer struck a conciliatory tone as he told voters who had turned away from Labour over its stance on Gaza that he was determined to win their trust again in the future.

Speaking in Birmingham, the Labour leader said: “I say directly to those who may have voted Labour in the past, but felt on this occasion they couldn’t, that across the West Midlands we are a proud and diverse community.

“I have heard you. I have listened. And I am determined to meet your concerns and to gain your respect and trust again in the future.”

Former West Midlands mayor Andy Street said it has been his “honour to serve and to lead this place for the last seven years”.

He said: “I hope I’ve done it with dignity and integrity.

“And I hope I’ve bequeathed to Richard a combined authority and indeed a role to which young aspiring leaders will want to aspire one day.

“In a sense, I can have done no more than that.

“It has been a great privilege. But tonight, I just wanted to say thank you, and good night.”

Former West Midlands mayor Andy Street apologised to his Conservative team after being defeated by Labour’s Richard Parker and not making a hat-trick, but added “mark my words, you will be back for that”.

Saying thank you to his team across the region, he added: “It has been my honour to lead you for the last seven years.

“I’m sorry, we couldn’t make it that triple or hat-trick, but mark my words, you will be back for that.”

Mr Street thanked his fellow candidates, including Mr Parker for “how he’s conducted himself in the campaign” and wished him “all strength and wisdom as he takes on this role”.

And he also thanked those who voted for him on Thursday, for the “trust” they showed in him, adding “that’s perhaps the most important word in politics of all”.

Mr Street said: “In the end, it was not to be, but of course, that doesn’t mean I appreciate that trust any less. So thank you, to the voters.”