Labour must earn every vote in North West - Starmer
BBCSir Keir Starmer has told Labour candidates in the north-west of England they must be prepared to "go out and earn every vote" in the upcoming local elections.
The prime minister visited a school in Ashton-under-Lyne in Tameside, Greater Manchester, earlier to announce the roll-out of new free breakfast clubs, including more than 100 in the region.
He said his party, which currently controls 16 councils across Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, would take "nothing for granted" in the elections on 7 May.
Each of these is holding either all-out or "third" elections, alongside other constituencies where Labour is the largest party but does not have overall control.
Millions of people are expected to go to the polls across the region to vote as 461 seats go up for grabs across 21 councils.
Politics professor Jon Tonge from the University of Liverpool has previously said Labour was "on the defensive" due to the prime minister's approval ratings.
It comes after the party finished third in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, when the Green's Hannah Spencer won the seat.
The prime minister told BBC North West: "We know we have to go out and earn every vote, we take nothing for granted."
He said Labour had a "fantastic" set of candidates, which included new members and those with previous political experience.
Defending his record, Sir Keir said raising the minimum wage, lifting the two-child benefit gap, and freezing rail and prescription fares were positives to point to.
Reform leader Nigel Farage last week told the BBC his party had hopes for taking control of Tameside Council in Greater Manchester, as well as eyeing up a challenge on Labour-dominated strongholds in Merseyside.
Sir Keir said Labour had to "call out those who challenge us", including Farage, who he said would have led the UK into the war in Iran.
He said voters had to "stand back and say 'what are the core principles and values that drive different leaders'.
"Mine is acting in the British national interest, not getting dragged into the Iran war, and protecting British lives."
The prime minister said he felt Labour's message was getting through to the electorate with "really important" policies like the new breakfast clubs, but added "we need to keep on making that case".
When asked whether he would resign if Labour performed poorly on 7 May, he said he was elected in 2024 with a five-year mandate that he "will carry through".
"I will be judged at the next election on whether living standards have improved."
Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.
