Bailey beats Zac Goldsmith’s percentage by 1.6%:
Khan: 56.8% (-1.6%)
Bailey: 44.8% (+1.6%)
First round results:
CONFIRMED: Angela Rayner has been sacked as Labour Party chair. She remains deputy leader. https://t.co/jH0sfoPMSr
— Gabriel Pogrund (@Gabriel_Pogrund) May 8, 2021
The morning after the election results, Starmer promised he’d take personal responsibility for the results. Seems that wasn’t completely accurate as he’s now sacked Angela Rayner, I charge of the local election campaign, from her party chair role. She’ll remain deputy leader. That won’t make shadow cabinet meetings awkward…
Stay tuned for the numbers…
Street: 54% (+3.6%)
Byrne: 46% (-3.6%)
The BBC are predicting the SNP will now fall two seats short of an overall majority in Holyrood – the exact same result they saw in 2016 – in a blow to Sturgeon’s ability to claim a mandate for a second independence referendum. The party’s hopes relied on winning the key marginal seat of Tory-held Aberdeen West, however the Conservatives managed to increase their majority from 900 to 3000. The BBC projection in full:
The BBC is projecting:
— Nick Eardley (@nickeardleybbc) May 8, 2021
SNP 63
Conservative 31
Labour 22
Liberal Democrat 4
Greens 9
Although SNP short of majority, this would be biggest pro-independence group at Holyroodhttps://t.co/avQgPdiZ1j
Now the SNP will have to point to the overtly-pro-independence Green party seats, which push the anti-UK votes over the line in Holyrood…
Labour has clawed back a positive news line from the local elections, winning a majority in the Senedd. Drakeford, the Tories and Plaid managed to squeeze out the smaller parties – Reform, Abolish and UKIP – with Labour gaining one seat to put them on the magical 30/60 seats, the Tories up the most by 5, and Plaid up one.

Labour’s joint best ever Senedd record…