Local election 2023: Starmer warns Labour 'hardest part lies ahead'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will tell his senior shadow ministers there is "more work to be done" after last week's strong local election results.

He will say the "hardest part lies ahead" and Labour must show it can form a "big reforming government".

Labour gained more than 500 councillors in last week's elections, while the Conservatives lost more than 1,000.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will also meet with his Cabinet on Tuesday for the first time since the results.

Sir Keir is due to meet with leaders of all 22 councils which were won by the party.

They have been tasked with drawing up "emergency cost of living plans" within their first 100 days, as well as reviewing local housing and development policies.

Labour took control of councils in some areas which voted heavily for Brexit, such as Dover and Stoke on Trent, and Sir Keir will tell the shadow cabinet that "people who turned away from us during the Corbyn years and the Brexit years are coming back".

"But there is understandably a lot of scepticism about politics out there and now we need to go from reassurance to hope," he will say.

"We need to show that we will be a big reforming government bringing hope of a better life for working people."

He will say that Labour will put a "plan to rebuild the NHS at the heart of our offer to the British people", with further announcements on the party's plans expected in the coming weeks.

The Shadow Levelling Up Secretary Lisa Nandy also confirmed reports in the Financial Times that the party was considering raising stamp duty for overseas buyers and stopping them from buying more than 50% of any new development.

Mr Sunak has described the loss of more than 1,000 councillors as "disappointing" but insisted he would "strain every sinew" to fulfil his pledges on the economy, NHS waiting lists and small boats.

He has responded to his party's losses by doubling down on his five key pledges on the economy, NHS waiting lists and small boats.

Asked if he would apologise to councillors who had lost their seats, Mr Sunak said it was "always disappointing to lose hardworking councillors" but said his job was "to deliver for the country"

"We want to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce the debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats," he added.

"Those are the country's priorities and me and the government are going to keep working incredibly hard to deliver on those."

Some Conservative MPs have privately suggested Mr Sunak is likely to need to go beyond reiterating his promise to deliver those pledges in order to improve the Conservatives' position before a general election.

The Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, whose party gained more than 400 seats, said he would table a vote of no confidence in the government when Parliament returns later

Sir Ed said: "The local elections showed that the public clearly has no confidence in Sunak or the Conservatives, so it's time for a general election now.

"There's only one reason Rishi Sunak would deny British people a say at the ballot box: because he is running scared and knows he'd lose."

The Liberal Democrats are not able to force a debate on the motion though so it is likely to end up being largely symbolic.