Starmer Launches Labour Campaign for May Local Elections

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer launched Labour's campaign for the May 7 local elections on Monday in Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, pledging to unite the country amid global challenges and urging voters to embrace "pride and hope" under the party's slogan, "Pride in Britain."

Speaking to supporters joined by Deputy Leader Lucy Powell and several Cabinet colleagues, Starmer framed the elections as a choice between division and unity. "This is about pride and hope," he said. "That is the political choice in this election. Our opponents respond to this war on two fronts by dividing our communities. We meet this test by unlocking the pride that is in our communities." He accused rival parties of exacerbating tensions amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, particularly Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has driven up oil prices.

Starmer emphasized Labour's commitment to recent policy achievements as reasons for optimism. "We meet this moment with hope," he stated. "The hope of an NHS where waiting lists are coming down, and they are. The hope of a country where wages for working people are rising, and they are. And the hope of a country where...