Labour counts ‘red wall’ gains but admits there is much more work to do

Party wins control of Cumberland and Rossendale councils but fails to make the breakthrough it might have expected

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Labour activists still shudder at the thought of recent campaigns in many red wall" areas. In Hartlepool, one recalled seeing canvassers shaking with fear before going out to knock doors. This year, several party figures said, Labour got a hearing again.

It may not be the massive turning point" hailed by Keir Starmer, but there was a feeling after votes had been counted that Labour had made steps towards arresting the decline that helped Boris Johnson to a landslide victory in 2019 - although the road back to power remains long.