Yahoo Finance Election results – live: Sadiq Khan wins second term as London mayor as Angela Rayner sacked in Labour turmoil
Labour leader Keir Starmer was accused of “scapegoating everyone apart from himself” for the election results after he removed Angela Rayner from her post as party chair and national campaign co-ordinator.
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell described the decision as a “cowardly avoidance of responsibility” as the Labour leader embarked on a reshuffle.
Meanwhile SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon hailed her party’s “emphatic victory” in the Scottish parliament, despite failing to gain key target seats that would give it an outright majority in the Scottish parliament.
Watch: Sadiq Khan 'looking forward' to second term
The first minister’s party finished the election with 64 seats, one short of a majority, but has achieved an increased majority of pro-independence MSPs at Holyrood with support from the Scottish Greens.
It comes as Boris Johnson said he rejected a second referendum on Scottish independence as “reckless and irresponsible”. Ms Sturgeon said she would push ahead with legislation for the so-called indyref2 “when the time is right” – claiming Mr Johnson “would have to go to court” to block another vote.
Labour retained control of the Welsh Senedd, matching its best-ever result of 30 seats out of 60 after all votes were counted. Mark Drakeford will remain in power as the country’s first minister.
Elsewhere London mayor Sadiq Khan was re-elected, albeit with narrower margin than predicted. Mr Khan won 1,206,034 votes after second preferences were taken into account, compared to Tory challenger Shaun Bailey on 977,601. In the north, Labour has enjoyed various mayoral successes including in Greater Manchester where Andy Burnham has been re-elected.
