What we learned from local votes ahead of looming UK general election

LONDON — Millions of voters in England cast ballots Thursday in an array of local elections, the last big test before a looming U.K. general election that all indicators suggest will see the Labour Party return to power after 14 years in the wilderness.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was barely able to point to any big success for his Conservative Party, confirming that the electoral coalition that gave the party a big win in the 2019 general election has frayed, if not completely dissolved, in the wake of a series of political dramas and the cost of living crisis.

For Labour leader Keir Starmer, the results provided confirmation of what opinion polls have shown for two years — that Labour has recovered from its 2019 low and is on course to win the election comfortably.

Here are five things we learned:

WILL SUNAK FACE A REBELLION?

It’s possible.

Though the Conservatives lost around half the 1,000 council seats they held, and suffered a huge defeat in the special parliamentary election in Blackpool South, a coastal resort town in the northwest of England, it looks as though Sunak will not face a revolt just yet from anxious lawmakers in his party.

That’s largely because the Conservative candidate in the mayoral contest in Tees Valley in the northeast of England hung on when the result was announced on Friday, albeit with a much depressed vote. That helped soothe some concerns despite losses elsewhere.

However, the defeat of the Conservative incumbent in the West Midlands on Saturday could prompt another bout of jitters among lawmakers increasingly concerned about their ability to hold onto their seats in a general election.

Overall, the results show that Sunak hasn’t improved the Conservatives’ overall position following the damage caused by the actions of his…