ALBAWABA - Sadiq Khan, London's Labour mayor, won a record third term on Saturday after the party swept a slew of mayoral and local elections, defeating the ruling Conservatives just months before the expected general election.
Khan defeated Tory challenger Susan Hall by 11 points to defeat mostly hopeless Tory ambitions to take the UK capital away from Labour for the first time since 2016.
When he was first elected as the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital, he was generally expected to win as the opposition party surged nationally and the Tories struggled to regain their footing.
Throughout the election campaign, there was much anticipation about voter turnout, particularly in the outlying municipalities, where Conservative support has usually been strong.
However, Khan's ability to rally support from a wide range of demographics proved critical in ensuring his victory. His victory comes in the midst of a broader electoral environment, with results from other mayoral and local council elections still coming in.
The Conservative Party had a difficult weekend, suffering setbacks in contests in England and Wales. Khan's rise to political prominence is characterized by humble beginnings and a dedication to public service.
Earlier in Saturday's Daily Telegraph, Sunak conceded that "voters are frustrated" but tried to argue that Labour was "not winning in places they admit they need for a majority, " AFP reported.
According to the BBC, if the council tallies were mirrored countrywide, Labour would take 34% of the vote, with the Conservatives lagging by nine percentage points.
Sky News' estimate for a general election based on the results indicated that Labour will be the largest party but fall short of an overall majority.
There has been widespread speculation in Westminster that disgruntled Tory MPs may use poor local election results to try to unseat Sunak. Despite the fact that the returns are expected to be at the low end, this has not yet occurred.
