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Keir Starmer plays down Labour hopes for 6 May elections

Leader says he has a ‘mountain’ to climb after 2019 general election but will take ‘full responsibility’
Keir Starmer has sought to manage expectations ahead of what he admitted will be a “very important set of elections for
The Labour leader is fighting to rebuild the party and prove that, just over a year since taking over from Jeremy Corbyn, he is changing its profile with voters enough to switch from opposition to government at the next general election – in no more than three years’ time.
On Thursday 6 May there will be elections for mayors, police and crime commissioners, and local councils across England, as well as national elections for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, not to mention two MP byelections.
With many of the races delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the bumper set of elections has proved tough for political parties to mobilise grassroots support and decide where to focus their energy.
Starmer said Labour’s performance across the UK on Thursday would be a reflection on his leadership, and promised: “I take full responsibility for the results, just as a I take full responsibility for everything that happens in the Labour party under my leadership.”
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “I hope we don’t lose” Hartlepool, which strongly backed Brexit and has been gradually slipping away from Labour for years. He said he had been in the constituency recently “fighting for every vote” in its byelection.
He added that he had a “mountain” to climb to restore Labour’s standing with voters, following the party’s performance at the 2019 general election under Corbyn.
“I don’t think anybody realistically thought it was possible to turn the Labour party round from the worst general election result since 1935 to a position to win the next general election within a period of one year – it was always going to take longer than that,” he said.
A new poll by Survation of 301 people likely to vote with undecideds removed has put the Conservatives on 50% in Hartlepool, with Labour trailing on 33%.
Although it was carried out from 23-29 April, meaning some respondents were quizzed before the Electoral Commission announced it was launching a formal investigation over Boris Johnson’s “cash for curtains” Downing Street flat funding row, the poll gave a further boost to Conservative hopes that their challenge to dismantle the “red wall” of Labour strongholds was not over.
Starmer said he had tried to lead a “constructive opposition” because people wanted to see political leaders “being prepared to have the confidence” to work together. But he insisted he had highlighted government sleaze and ministers’ failure to distribute enough protective equipment to health and social care workers, as well as having been “highly critical” of the time taken to ramp up coronavirus testing.
Reflecting on his past year as leader, Starmer also said he was “frustrated” he had not been able to meet voters properly, shake their hands and deliver speeches to rallies packed with people, given Covid restrictions, but that he had a “burning desire to change our country for the better”.
source: Aubrey Allegretti
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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