Kemi Badenoch has warned that the Tories could lose “almost every” council they won in 2021 in the upcoming local elections.
Speaking at the launch of her party’s campaign, Badenoch painted a bleak picture for the Tories in the elections in May, when more than 1,600 council seats will be up for re-election, alongside six mayors.
Councils up for election this year were last voted on in 2021, in elections that came shortly after the rollout of the Covid vaccine.
This helped the Tories gain 14 councils and hold another 49.
But this year, they face being squeezed from both sides of the political spectrum, with the Lib Dems on the left and Reform on the right.
She warned Tory members: “It will be the first time since the general election, the greatest defeat in all parties’ history, that we fight these seats.”
If the 2024 election results are replicated in May, then the Conservatives will “lose almost every” council from 2021, Badenoch admitted.
It looks set to be a poor set of council elections for both major parties, with Labour also predicted to struggle following a slump in the polls since winning a supermajority last summer.
Policies such as the introducing inheritance tax on farms, cutting the winter fuel allowance for many pensioners and slashing benefits are unlikely to win Keir Starmer‘s party many votes come the local elections.
As a result, there could be some significant gains for the Lib Dems, independent candidates and Reform UK.
Badenoch has done little to turn around the Tories’ fortunes since their disastrous general election wipeout last year, and there have already been reports that she could face a leadership challenge should the local election results be particularly bad.
It might be time to go and get the world’s smallest violin.
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