…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
Tory Chair Greg Hands has warned that the Conservative Party could lose more than a thousand seats in local elections next month.
Despite the grim prediction, he praised the party’s candidates, who he said are “fighting really hard” despite the national poll ratings.
The Cabinet Minister said that the disaster on May 4th was being anticipated by the “most credible” experts.
He vowed to focus resources on the Red Wall, despite national polls consistently showing Labour with a double-digit lead.
Over 8,000 council seats across 230 local authorities are up for grabs on May 4th, ranging from small rural councils to some of the largest towns and cities.
However, no elections are scheduled in London or Birmingham.
The last time these councils were contested, the Tories performed relatively strongly against Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour, meaning that they have more to defend this year.
Mr. Hands acknowledged that the Conservative Party could lose more than 1,000 seats, according to independent predictions from the most credible academic sources.
When asked if he could be moved from his job if the results are dire, he replied that he was campaigning really hard and that the party has brilliant councillors and great candidates out there.
Expectation Management Ahead of Local Elections
National polls have shown Labour with a double-digit lead, which has resulted in the main parties engaging in frantic expectation management ahead of the ballot.
More than an electoral exercise, the local elections are seen as a key indicator for the general election next year.
If the predicted meltdown does materialise, Rishi Sunak may be spared an extended postmortem, as the King’s coronation is scheduled immediately afterward.
An Opinium survey has shown Keir Starmer’s party extending its lead back to 14 points, after having been trimmed to 11 points in equivalent research a week earlier.
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