Jubilant Labour ‘on track for No10’ as PM pledges to stay the course after huge Tory local election losses

4 May 2023, 21:50 | Updated: 5 May 2023, 9:09

The Conservatives are on course for heavy losses in the local elections with both the Lib Dems and Labour making gains.

Labour claimed that early results show that the party is on course to win the next General Election.

Labour have taken control of Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent and Medway - among their top target councils.

The Conservatives lost both Tamworth and Brentwood councils to No Overall Control as Labour attempt to replicate national poll results in local vote shares.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said this morning: "It's always disappointing to lose hard-working Conservative councillors, they're friends, they're colleagues and I'm so grateful to them for everything they've done.

"In terms of the results, it's still early, we've just had a quarter of the results in, but what I am going to carry on doing is delivering on the people's priorities - halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting waiting lists and stopping the boats.

"That's what people want us to do, that's what I'm going to keep hard at doing."

Labour have had a double-digit poll lead over the Tories for around a year - with the local election results set to test the progress of Sir Keir Starmer's party.

Rishi Sunak has managed to boost the Conservatives' fortunes since taking over as Prime Minister from ill-fated predecessor Liz Truss in October - but faces the prospect of up to 1000 losses across the country.

Read More: Paw-lling day! Internet flooded with pictures of cute dogs ahead of England's local elections

This is the first set of elections in the UK which will require voters to produce photo ID to vote.

The new requirement has led to call of foul play from opposition parties who claim the Conservatives are engaging in voter suppression.

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