The Labour Party has gained control of London’s most Jewish borough, winning a majority of seats for the first time on Barnet council.
The result is seen be some as an indication that Labour’s progress on combating antisemitism scandals within the party, specifically the effort by leader Keir Starmer, is paying off.
Barnet council has had a Conservative majority for its entire history since 1964, except for an eight-year period when there was no majority, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
The election saw the Conservatives lose 14 seats and Labour gain 18 seats, giving Labour a 41-22 edge over the Conservatives.
The party said in a post-election statement that the election results showed “the progress Keir Starmer has made to regain the trust of Jewish voters.”
Swansea Labour MP Carolyn Harris described the result in Barnet as representing a “sea change” in Starmer’s path to win back Jewish voters.
Labour’s new councillors include former Union of Jewish Students President Ella Rose and Jewish Labour Movement policy officer Liron Velleman.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)