- Thursday, April 25, 2024
By: Chandrashekar Bhat
LABOUR has wrested Southampton City Council from the Conservative party, taking its tally of seats comfortably past the halfway mark.
Councillor Satvir Kaur, who led the Labour charge in the city, attributed her party victory to the Conservative administration’s failure to rein in the cost of living and a rise in crime.
Labour won three seats previously held by the Tories, while prime minister Boris Johnson’s party also lost one to Liberal Democrats.
Elections were held for 17 out of 48 seats of the council and as the results were declared on Friday (6), Labour’s seat count rose to 26, up by four. Conservatives now hold 21 seats after losing four.
The lone win for Liberal Democrats means the party has made a comeback in the council after 11 years.
In her congratulatory message, Kaur thanked the city residents for reposing faith in Labour and vowed to deliver on her party’s election promises.
“Huge CONGRATULATIONS team Worthing, from your friends across the coast… Southampton Labour!” she tweeted.
“So this happened!! Southampton Labour are grateful that local residents have put their trust in us again to lead the city. We are eager and ready to start delivering for all our communities. Huge thank you for everyone’s support,” she said in another message.
Kaur said voters backed Labour as they were concerned about crime, particularly drug abuse.
“They want the government to do more…, but they are choosing not to. The trust in Boris Johnson has completely dissipated,” she told the BBC.
“Hampshire (has) lost 700 police officers in recent years… and crime is really high and people do not feel safe and feel it has got worse under this Conservative government and PCC,” she added.
Conservative leader Daniel Fitzhenry conceded defeat, saying his party administration did everything it could to help people.
Fitzhenry, however, defended Johnson, who, according to him, is the “right man” to lead the Conservatives.
