Keir Starmer warns about voting for independents as he makes election vow in Willenhall visit

The Labour leader said there was still much to do in the West Midlands after failing to take control of Dudley Council in this month's local elections.

The region is likely to be crucial in determining who will form the next Government, with seats key marginal seats in the Black Country, Shropshire and Staffordshire within Labour's sights.

Wolverhampton West has been identified as number five on Labour's target seats based on the percentage swing needed, with Walsall and Bloxwich and West Bromwich featuring in the top 25. Other target seats are likely to include Tipton and Wednesbury, Shrewsbury and Telford.

Sir Keir warned that voting for independent candidates was a recipe for more 'chaos and division' under the Conservatives, after independent candidate Akhmed Yakoob secured almost 70,000 votes in this month's mayoral election.

A new group of three former councillors in Sandwell ­– a must-win area for Labour at the General Election – have formed a new collective with a view to standing as independent candidates in the future.

Sir Keir visited GTG training in Willenhall along with his deputy Angela Rayner and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves where they held a get-together with the party's 11 elected mayors.

They included new West Midland metro-mayor Richard Parker, who defeated incumbent Andy Street by a wafer-thin majority of 1,508 votes at the election earlier this month.

The poll saw independent Akhmed Yakoob, who stood on an anti-Labour platform, secure third place with almost 70,000 votes.

Sir Keir said: "I think it's very important to be clear about what the choice is at the next election, it's a clear choice between five more years of chaos and division and of failure under the Conservatives, or a Labour Party coming in with a laser-like focus on the priorities of working people across the country.

"If you want change you have to vote for change and that means voting Labour. That is going to be the central divide, the central choice at this upcoming election.

"In the end, I say strongly to people if you do want change you've got to vote for change.

"We take absolutely nothing for granted. We must win the trust and confidence as we showed we can in that West Midlands mayorality."

Sir Keir said Mr Parker's win was 'a very significant' victory for the party."

In March, Labour launched its local election campaign in Dudley, which had been targeted as a top priority council.

But despite all 72 councillors coming up for election, Labour failed take control of the authority, finishing up in a tie with the Tories.

"I think you know wherever we need to go on and we need more votes, we will continue to do so. But we do so, with the same argument, the same mindset, which is we take nothing for granted.

"Not a single vote has been cast in the General Election.

"We have to show we're a changed party. "We have to show that the priorities of people in Dudley are the priorities of the Labour Party and that we will earn the votes we need going into that election."

Sir Keir said a future Labour government would focus on further devolution as a means to deliver growth in areas such as the West Midlands.

Mrs Rayner said people from deprived backgrounds wanted the opportunity to get off benefits and make their own way in the world.

"I was a free-school-meal kid, and I've spoken about that, and actually it affects every part of your life if you're not able to provide for your family," she said.

"That's why we have growth plans, working with the mayors and local authorities to really drive that growth, across the UK, including in the West Midlands.

"It's really critical, because you can put public services in, you can put subsidy in, but what working people want to have good, secure jobs and homes that are safe, and that's what our plan is to deliver that growth so every child has opportunities."

Sir Keir had harsh criticism for Mr Yakoob over a video in which a schoolteacher from Dudley was wrongly accused of using a racial slur while canvassing for the Labour Party.

Subtitles on the video allege that the teacher, who has not been named, used racist language while canvassing for Labour's Councillor Qasim Mughal. Police examined the video, and found no evidence against her.

"It's totally shocking, nobody should be subjected to that kind of fabrication, and everybody who bears any responsibility for this and republishing this should answer some very serious questions about what they thought they were doing."

Mrs Rayner added: "The truth is this teacher was receiving death threats and has seen her life turned upside down in a matter of hours, and we all have to have responsibility to make that sure that we don't share disinformation and fake news."

During the visit, Sir Keir, Mrs Rayner and Miss Reeves were taken on a tour of the company, which provides specialist training in the automotive industry.

He chatted with 26-year-old apprentice Great Akwari who demonstrated equipment used to diagnose faults in electric cars. The Staffordshire University graduate told Sir Keir how he had worked for Bentley Motors in Crewe before taking up his place at GTG.