SIR Keir Starmer triumphantly returned to Carlisle today to congratulate the Labour party on their Cumberland victory.
The Labour leader met with activists at Carlisle Railway Station this afternoon (May 6), following a resounding Labour victory after securing nine seats in the Carlisle District, eleven seats for Allerdale and ten of the twelve seats for Copeland.
Mr Starmer was met with open arms and cheers from activists all across Cumbria, and referred to the victory as 'historic'.
The party will be taking control of the new Cumberland Council in its inaugural four year term.
In an interview with the News & Star, Sir Keir Starmer said the Cumberland win is a very "positive win, from a positive team and a positive campaign".
"This is a real turning point for the Labour party, to take Cumberland is hugely significant with the new set-up, but of course there are three constituencies underpinning this that are key for the next general election.
"We have shown we can win in Cumberland, Rossendale has just come out as well which is another important win for us, and in other parts of the country, we've got Southampton as well as other counts are still going on, and of course a historic win in London," he said.
When asked what he thinks the Labour party's capabilities can be in the new unitary authority, he said: "We've got a fantastic team coming in, they're completely up for the challenge but of course there will be bedding in period.
"But the significance of this really is that we've taken our positive case to the country and to Cumberland and we've returned with a Labour council, which is absolutely fantastic.
"It shows the Labour party have recovered from the despair of 2019 and is now on the march to the general election."
The Labour leader also said he was confident ahead of the general election next year.
"We've shown in this that we can win in Cumbria and that's very significant for the Labour party, and it's very important to me personally to be able to show that we can win here.
"I know the team here, with brilliant candidates, have worked really hard and brought with them a real positive campaign.
"Labour now has wind in our sails and the general election within our sights," he said.
READ MORE: Cumberland Conservatives suffer a rout in historic 2022 elections
READ MORE: Labour dominate the Cumberland Council elections at Allerdale
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