Keir Starmer has declared the country is ready for change as the Tories suffered catastrophic local election results.
The Labour leader said voters are crying out for a general election as he toasted victories that put him on course for No10.
Rishi Sunak was humiliated in his own backyard as Labour took the York and North Yorkshire mayoralty. The party won big in the Blackpool South by-election, while snatching councils in areas that are key parliamentary battlegrounds including Nuneaton, Hartlepool, Milton Keynes, Redditch, Thurrock and Hyndburn.
But Mr Sunak appears to have escaped a fresh push to oust him after Tory Ben Houchen clung on as Tees Valley Mayor. Andy Street may also manage to avoid defeat in the West Midlands mayoral race on Saturday.
At a rally on Friday morning, Mr Starmer said that the message from voters to Mr Sunak was “make way”, adding: “We want that general election and we are confident going into that general election because what this by-election shows is the country wants change.”
1. Blackpool South by-election
Labour has secured a stunning by-election win in Blackpool South after the former Tory MP quit in a sleaze scandal. The party managed a colossal 26.4% swing, which is the third largest from the Conservatives to Labour at a by-election since the Second World War.
The Tories narrowly avoided being beaten into third place by Reform UK by just 117 votes. In his victory speech, Labour’s Chris Webb said: “Prime Minister, do the decent thing, admit you’ve failed and call a general election.”
Scott Benton stood down as the constituency’s MP after he was suspended from the Commons for 35 days, after he was caught in an undercover sting offering to lobby ministers on behalf of gambling investors.
2. Tees Valley
Ben Houchen managed to cling on as the Mayor of Tees Valley despite Labour slashing his lead. If Labour repeated its 16.7% swing from the Conservatives at a general election, it would win every seat in the area.
The party said Lord Houchen, who did not wear a Tory election rosette to the count, had run his campaign as a “pseudo-independent”.
The Conservative mayor earlier this week admitted that many of his supports “probably won’t be voting for the Conservative Party in the general election”.
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3. Rishi Sunak’s backyard
Rishi Sunak suffered a humiliating defeat in his own backyard after Labour pulled off a shock win in the York and North Yorkshire mayoralty.
David Skaith, Labour’s candidate, beat Tory Keane Duncan for the newly created role. It is a blow to Mr Sunak, whose Richmond constituency is in the area. The PM is thought to have cast a postal vote in the contest.
4. Beating heart of election fight
Labour’s Claire Ward beat Ben Bradley to become the first ever Mayor for the East Midlands by more than 50,000 votes.
The area covers Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It includes more than a dozen key parliamentary seats, including Mansfield, Bolsover, South Derbyshire and Bassetlaw. A Labour source described the East Midlands as “the beating heart of the general election battleground”.
5. Crucial bellwether
Labour has won councils in many of the places that will be key battlegrounds at the general election.
The party gained 15 seats on Nuneaton & Bedworth Council as the Tories lost 14. Nuneaton is a bellwether seat that has voted the same way as the country at large in every general election since 1997.
Labour also took control of councils in other areas that will be targets at the general election including Hartlepool, Milton Keynes, Redditch, Thurrock and Hyndburn.
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6. Home of British Army
The home of the British Army has fallen to Labour as the party has won Rushmoor Borough Council for the first time. The local authority in Hampshire, which has been run by the Tories for the past 24 years, includes Aldershot Garrison.
Labour said the result “demonstrates just how much the party has changed”.
A party source added: “Only this government could spend the last couple of weeks of the campaign talking about defence and then end up losing the home of the British Army.”
Results to come on Saturday
Votes will be counted in mayoral races including London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester on Saturday.
Sadiq Khan is hoping to become the first person ever to win a third term as the mayor of the capital. Tory Andy Street faces a close fight in the West Midlands, while Andy Burnham is expected to win comfortably in Greater Manchester.
Mayors will also be announced in the Liverpool City region, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Salford. The results of 10 police and crime commissioner elections are due later on Saturday, along with the final remaining local council declarations.