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He defeated TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee by 15,105 votes in her Bhabanipur bastion during the recently concluded Assembly elections.

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The headlines are just a snapshot of the emerging picture. It is important to note that the headlines are only an emerging picture. Reform has been winning about one-third of the seats declared. Labour has lost just under half of their seats that they were trying to defend. They are defending more seats than any other party in this election. The spin operations of both parties are well underway. Labour’s core argument is that mid-term elections can be difficult for governments and are not good predictors of the outcome of the next general election. This is true to some extent, but the governing party did not go backwards on seats in 2011, 2015 or 2017 for example. Labour is going backwards in a big way. How Labour handles these losses psychologically will be crucial over the next few days and hours. It’s another thing to sit in the dentist chair and actually have it done. Take Tameside, Greater Manchester. This is the area of former deputy prime Minister Angela Rayner. That will hurt. Not far away in Wigan, where the local MP is cabinet minister Lisa Nandy, Labour lost all 22 seats it was defending to Reform. This will hurt. Not far away, in Wigan, Labour lost all 22 of the seats it was defending. The local MP, cabinet minister Lisa Nandy is the local Labour MP. The reason for this is that the councils who have completed their counting only had a quarter of their seats available for election. The Liberal Democrats have made small gains, but they can also point to their control of Stockport and Portsmouth Councils. The Conservatives are, as expected, going backwards. They can also point to a victory in Westminster and denying Labour of Wandsworth, even though they haven’t taken it themselves. Turnout is higher than previous local elections. It is currently running at 43%. This is eight points higher than 2022.

The PM said that tough election results hurt, but didn’t weaken his resolve.42 minutes agoKateWhannel,Political reporterandJoshuaNevett,Political reporterPA mediaPrime Minister Sir Keir starmer said that Labour’s “tough”, local election results in England, “hurt”, but insisted that days like this “don’t weaken [his] resolve to deliver the changes that I promised”.The Conservatives also lost ground, while Reform UK enjoyed The Liberal Democrats won Stockport, Portsmouth, but lost control of Hull to Reform. Follow live election results and reactions. Chris Mason: The emerging picture shows Reform gains while Labour counts losses in heartland constituencies. The poor performance of the party in the elections will fuel questions about Sir Keir’s leadership that have been growing since months. Sharon Hoffman, the only Labour councillor left in Hull following Reform’s 10 seat win on the council, said that the national Labour government “had done us a great deal of damage”. “People were saying to us on the door that we were knocking: ‘We really support you. But we cannot support Labour.’ People said they would not vote Keir or anyone who represented Keir. “Speaking to Ealing residents in west London, Sir Keir stated: “The results were tough, very tough and there was no sugar-coating.” “We have lost brilliant Labour members across the country. These are people who gave so much to their communities and our party. “And it hurts and should hurt. I accept responsibility. “Asked whether he would resign, he replied: “I won’t walk away and plunge this country into chaos.” John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said he thought the prime minister “could still turn this around”, while Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary warned against a knee-jerk reaction to the results. Communities Secretary Steve Reed warned against changing leaders as well. He told the BBC that “doomscrolling from prime minister to prime minister doesn’t solve the problem.” Some Labour MPs hope Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham will return to Westminster to challenge Sir Keir in the party leadership. The Reform leader told Havering residents that people are used to thinking of politics as left or right, but his party has been able win in both traditionally Conservative areas and Labour ones. He said that Reform’s success could no longer be seen as a “fluke or protest vote”. When asked how Reform would perform at the local level, he replied: “We know that local council finances are stretched. We are not promising miracles, but we are announcing value for money. “On Sir Keir’s future, he jokingly said: “Personally, I would be very sorry to see the prime Minister go – he’s the greatest asset we have. “Like Labour the Conservatives lost councillors over night, and Reform won former strongholds like Brentwood, Tamworth, and North East Lincolnshire. Reform has won control of Essex County Council, which was previously held by the Conservatives. This area includes the constituencies for several senior Tory politicians, including party leader Kemi Benedot. Badenoch told Westminster that her party was the “only serious alternative to Labour”. She said that “People voted to change and they got a change for the worst with Labour”. She argued that Reform is “talking a good game”, but “people who have experienced Reform don’t enjoy it”. “We are the only ones that do any work. The Liberal Democrats gained control of Stockport, Portsmouth and Hull, but lost the control of Hull Council. Speaking in Portsmouth, Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey said Labour, the Conservatives and other “extreme” parties like Reform and the Greens were luring voters. “Their message is destructive – ‘burn it down’ change,” he said. “The Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, offer a different change that is ‘build it up’ change. “Asked if the prime minister should resign, he replied: “I personally believe he hasn’t delivered the changes Labour promised and he shouldn’t be in the way. The Green Party of England and Wales increased their average vote percentage to 18% overnight, up seven points from their 2022 results. Green MP Sian Berry claimed that “disappointment”, was “driving away people from Labour” and her party is “picking up votes”. She said that people were suffering because of cuts to public services, and that the Greens offered “genuine” policies that Labour “simply hadn’t brought in”. What do the results look like in maps and charts? When will we get the full results of the UK election?

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Cape Sidecar Adventures has been offering unforgettable tours to adventure-hungry tourists for over 20 years. They offer tours that allow you to experience Cape Town from a completely different perspective. Cape Sidecar Adventures offers tours ranging from 2-hour city tours to full day excursions, as well as bespoke itinerary options. The bikes can carry up to two passengers and the driver. Three of us, all from the UK and in our 60s, were in our group. We had an adventurous, carefree spirit and wanted to experience Cape Town’s best. Cape Sidecar Adventures’ HQ in Woodstock is easy to find and hard to miss. We were all blown-away not only by the impressive collection of over 50 colorful motorbikes and Sidecars but also by the vintage and welcoming feel of the surrounding area, as well as a top-notch cafe that refreshed us before our trip. [embedded text]We were outfitted with helmets, which had to be snug rather than loose. We also received goggles, bandanas, and retro leather jackets in a variety of colours and sizes. As we strode off fully-clad, past the vintage poster of Steve McQueen’s legs astride a ’61 Triumph TR6, we all channeled our inner wild side anticipating this would be an experience that we will never forget. Two of us jumped into the sidecars attached with two brightly painted bikes. One was a canary yellow CJ750 model called Ivy, and the other a cobalt-blue model called Roxy. Both models, according to our guide, originated in Russia and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. The third member of our group rode pillion. He settled on a comfortable seat behind the driver. Bandanas on, goggles in place, motor running, we were off. We began our 3 hour journey with azure skies, Table Mountain and the vibrant Bo-Kaap neighbourhood. We then moved along the Atlantic Seaboard to Clifton Beach Lookout Point where we stopped to take pictures of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range and the paradisiacal coast. We then continued through the hot tourist destination Camps Bay, to Noordhoek. Here we enjoyed a refreshing break at The Farm Village. The Farm Village is a popular local hangout with ice-cream and juice bars, as well as arts and crafts stalls and gift shops. Families and friends. We climbed back on our bikes, which we had ridden for years and loved, and rode into the Nature Reserve along Chapman’s Peak Drive. The entrance fee was already paid. We walked through the reserve admiring the sheer cliffs and absorbing the dramatic views of the ocean, where we saw Common, Dusky, and Heaviside Dolphins. We breathed in the sweet scents of the fynbos tree hoping to bring the sensations back to our urban lives. We were elated to have had such a unique experience. When we returned to the HQ, we met Tim Clarke who shared our excitement and euphoria. [embedded text]Interview with Tim Clarke, the owner at WTM Africa More Information

If you also want to go vintage and experience Cape Town in a totally different and awe-inspiring way go to https://www.sidecars.co.za/ and book a tour of your choice. Words, Pictures and Video: Sally Bowness & Mark Hakansson