Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. All News Sport Culture Lifestyle Starmer pledges to offer more hope as he continues to resist calls to quit Labour has lost control of Birmingham City Council after 14 years, with no single party securing an overall majority in the local elections. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the outcome as “a devastating night in Birmingham and across the country” for Labour. The council now faces a fragmented five-party split, with significant gains made by Reform, the Green Party, and independent candidates. Counting for two of the 101 seats was paused on Friday night and is set to resume on Monday. The outgoing Labour council leader, John Cotton, urged the incoming administration to prioritise resolving the protracted bin strike.…