Fresh boost for Jeremy Corbyn as Labour make gains from Tories and Lib Dems
2 min read
Jeremy Corbyn has been handed another boost after Labour gained seats from the Conservatives and Lib Dems in elections last night.
The party won half of the council seats up for grabs in a series of by-elections across the country - increasing its overall number by two.
Labour seized Leek East in Staffordshire from the Conservatives after its share of the vote increased by 25 points, and took Alston Moor in Cumbria off the Lib Dems.
The results are further proof that Labour has continued to gain support since its better than expected general election result.
Opinion polls since 8 June have consistently put Labour in the lead, a remarkable turnaround from when the Conservatives had leads of up to 24-points during the campaign.
Mr Corbyn's personal popularity has also improved dramatically, although Theresa May remains most voters' preference to be Prime Minister.
The Labour leader has vowed to visit 40 marginal seats across the UK before September as part of a summer campaigning blitz.
A Labour spokesman told PoliticsHome: "These results further prove that Labour are a government-in-waiting.
"The Tories head into recess in a state of chaos, with a weakened Prime Minister propped up by the DUP and unable to control her ministers from fighting each other via the Sunday papers.
"Labour will be campaigning throughout the summer to deliver a better, fairer Britain for the many, not the few."
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
