Johnson Rides Out Anger at ‘Partygate’ as Tories Hold Steady
- Ruling Conservatives lose control of iconic London councils
- But results unlikely to trigger a move to oust prime minister
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If Boris Johnson’s Conservative critics were waiting for proof that “partygate” and a U.K. cost of living crisis have damaged his premiership beyond repair, Thursday’s local elections didn’t provide it.
The prime minister’s ruling Tories did indeed suffer losses -- most notably three councils in London including the totemic areas of Wandsworth and Westminster, to Keir Starmer’s opposition Labour party -- but it wasn’t on the scale feared by some in the party after months of turmoil in Downing Street.