Conservatives lose West Midlands mayor capping bleak results for Rishi

Andy Street and Ben Houchen turn to Boris Johnson in mayoral election run-in

Presenters lose part of legal case against BBC Their equal pay claims wont go to a tribunal but claims.

After a string of local election losses, the Conservatives have lost control of the West Midlands mayoralty to Labour's Andy Street. The result is a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has been under pressure to improve the party's fortunes.

In a further blow to the Conservatives, Ben Houchen, the Conservative mayor of Tees Valley, has lost his bid to be re-elected. Houchen had been seen as a rising star in the party, and his defeat will be seen as a major setback.

The losses in the West Midlands and Tees Valley add to a series of poor results for the Conservatives in recent months. The party lost control of several councils in the May local elections, and also suffered defeats in the Chesham and Amersham by-election and the Batley and Spen by-election.

The results have led to calls for Sunak to resign as Prime Minister. However, Sunak has said that he is determined to stay on and lead the party into the next general election.

The Conservative Party is now facing a major challenge. The party is deeply unpopular with the public, and is trailing Labour in the polls. Sunak will need to find a way to turn things around if he wants to win the next general election.