Kier Starmer's Labour party faced unprecedented losses in the local elections, losing critical seats in areas that have had a Labour majority for generations.
This shocking shift in power hit hardest in Durham, which has been under a Labour majority for 100 years. 21 seats were lost, leaving the party with only 53 out of the county's 126 councillors.
Despite this, considerable gains were made for independent and Conservative candidates. Those smaller parties won 55 seats, which equals a collective gain of seventeen from the last elections.
Overall, these results display a seismic shift in Durham's politics. In the 2019 general election, Labour candidate Mary Foy won the City of Durham by a narrow 5000 vote margin, down 13.4% from the 2017 general election.
It seems the former mining county is moving away from their Labour roots, and choosing an alternative path for their future. The next local, or even general elections will affirm this claim. However, this may be only the beginning of Labour's loss of the county.