The Prime Minister ‘should do the right thing, and go’, Hull Labour leader Daren Hale has said
Mike Ross, left, the Lib Dem leader of Hull City Council, and Daren Hale, the leader of the Hull Labour Group(Image: Hull Live)
Both the leader and opposition leader at Hull City Council have given their thoughts after a hotly-contested set of local elections. The two largest parties in the council, the Lib Dems and Labour, both saw their number of seats fall.
After the elections which saw 19 of the council’s 57 seats up for grabs, the Liberal Democrats have lost their majority of one, meaning the council is now under no overall control. Cllr Mike Ross, the leader of the council and Lib Dem group, will now have to rely on at least a handful of councillors from outside his group to pass votes.
Reform UK picked up its first councillors in Hull, winning 10 of the 19 available seats. The popular vote was as follows:
- Reform UK: 17,880 [35.66%]
- Liberal Democrats: 15,941 [31.80%]
- Labour: 8,750 [17.45%]
- Green: 6,139 [12.25%]
- Conservative: 1,202 [2.40%]
Commenting on the result, Cllr Mike Ross said: “I want to thank all those who have backed the Lib Dems in this year’s election. It is a sign of support for the real positive changes the Lib Dems have delivered for the people of Hull, with more to come.“We elected local champions across the city and gained a seat from Labour. It is now clear for all to see that the only party that can stop Reform UK in Hull is the Liberal Democrats. Labour’s support collapsed, seeing them lose nearly all their seats.
“The Lib Dems, however, were able to stop Reform UK across the city. No other party in Hull came close to doing that, so the only way to beat Reform UK’s chaotic and divisive politics in Hull is to vote Liberal Democrat. The Lib Dem team will be straight back out on the pavements doing what they do best – working for local communities all year round.”
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The Hull Labour Group went into the election with 23 seats. They finished the night with 16. They remain the second largest party, albeit in a very different set-up. For many years, the Guildhall has largely consisted of just two groups, the Lib Dems and Labour, with a few independents.
Of the 19 seats up, eight of them belonged to Labour at the start of the night. The party was only able to hold one of their seats.
Reacting to the election results, the leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Daren Hale, said: “I am so grateful to all of our candidates and campaigners, and I congratulate them all on a well-fought campaign. My thoughts are also with my close personal friend Anita Harrison and her family and loved ones. I want to pay particular thanks to my ward colleague Leanne Fudge, who lost her seat by the razor-thin margin of 12 votes.”
Cllr Hale went on to state that he believes the party’s poor performance in Hull is due to wider discontent about the national government. He said: “I am bitterly disappointed and angry that many of Hull Labour’s committed, dedicated local community champions have missed out on election on this occasion due to the failures of our government in Westminster.
“I believe now is the time for new leadership, and a new direction, for the Labour Party and movement. Following many missteps and errors, and now these deeply unsettling election results, I no longer believe Keir Starmer can lead our Labour government and Labour movement. He should do the right thing – and go.
“I congratulate everyone who was elected this time – Hull Labour Group will hold them accountable, and continue to put forward a positive alternative.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service also sought reaction from the other group who won seats, Reform UK. On the night, party figures declined the opportunity to speak about winning their first seats on the council as counting concluded at the Guildhall.
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