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The Conservative Party appears to blame the “chaotic” governments of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss for the heavy losses the party is expected to suffer in the upcoming local elections.
The party expects to take a hit in the May 4th poll, when England’s thousands of local parliamentary seats will somehow be sent to the ballot box.
And senior Conservative officials have already laid the groundwork to blame Rishi Sunak’s two predecessors for their poor performance.
A Tory source said I: “May 4th is not going to be a good day at all. increase.”
Party chairman Greg Hands was eager to highlight an independent survey over the weekend that showed the Conservatives were in a position to lose 1,000 seats, adding that Labor “needs big gains”.
The comments are largely seen as an attempt by the Conservative Party to manage expectations in preparation for what is likely to be a bruising night.
Another Conservative source said it was “right on point” to suggest that last year’s “disturbance” alienated Tory voters, and how the results could be explained by the Sunak government. This is another example of how high
“Obviously our voters are very depressed and unmotivated at this point. No. I think you’re mad,” the insider said.
But while the Tories may try to pin down responsibility for next month’s poor performance, there are also concerns that anger over the party’s behavior last year could be compounded.
The source added: “The biggest danger for us is that municipal elections have really low voter turnout anyway. It means a lot.
“If you look at the number of Conservative voters who said ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I won’t vote’, it’s huge and could have a real impact on local elections.”
A Tory source who has been campaigning on the go for the past two weeks said the only “potentially positive story” was likely to come from the Northeast. Country.
“There are good signs in the Tory ‘halo’ area around Durham, MPs are doing a good job and we may get some benefits. ”
A study by local elections expert Colin Lallings and Michael Thrasher of Nuffield College, Oxford, found that the Tories could lose more than 1,000 seats in a swing of about 6% from party to Labor. It has been suggested that there is
Polling experts warned that even under Blair’s government, the party could not match national polls in local results, but such a swing would secure a Labor party of about 700 or more. right.
Nonetheless, next month’s elections, the largest local elections in a four-year cycle, with over 8,000 seats secured in 230 local councils, give us some idea of how the public feels about the major parties. .
A minister campaigning in Lancashire, trying to give the party a more positive outlook, said: I “It won’t be easy,” he said, but “I don’t feel the urge to vote for Labor either.”
“Things are slowly coming back to us, but there are definite improvements,” the MP said.
“I think it’s going to be a tough night, but I feel much better than last year.”
Sunak’s critics within the Tory have previously warned that poor results in local elections would raise major concerns about prospects in the general election, suggesting Johnson could return as party leader. .
A member of Congress, Arch Johnsonite, said, I: “If Rishi’s local elections were a bad night, all the toads would be looking for Boris to come back.”
Johnson’s return as leader remains unlikely, but several lawmakers are eager to help him campaign, even as he fears he will be swept out at the ballot box next month. Campaign for us. ”
Labor sources are also grappling with expectations management of their own, with one senior source pointing to the government’s decision to introduce ID for all voters in the UK, warning that it will “disproportionately affect young voters”.