Local elections: Tories make big gains as UKIP and Labour suffer

Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said last month: “We don’t need unilateral action”. Labour offers popular policies and a vision for a fairer and more equal Britain.

Ukip is defending 145 seats in total in England, with 30 already lost at the time of reporting. The Tories had gained 113 while the Liberal Democrats were down 13 seats.

Sir Vince said Ukip’s collapse had important implications for the General Election.

Conservative defence secretary Michael Fallon said his party appeared to be picking up votes from UKIP and other parties, but he cautioned that this did not mean this would be case on 8 June.

“We have had some good results, though, for example in Alston and Keswick”.

The Labour leader spoke alongside the recently announced Labour Party candidate for Bedford and Kempston in the upcoming general election, Cllr Mohammed Yasin.

In the mayoral contests, former Labour cabinet minister Andy Burnham hopes to begin life after Westminster by becoming Greater Manchester’s first elected mayor.

Ukip’s Lisa Duffy insisted the results were not a “disaster” for the party but acknowledged it was “very disappointing” it had been wiped out in Lincolnshire. He is going to be standing again and judging by his leaflets, he clearly hopes to be a yes man to Theresa May, should she lead the next government.

Conservatives stepped up their drive into Labour heartlands today as voters went to the polls for local elections around the country.

Despite expectations of a revival for the Liberal Democrats the early mood was subdued for party insiders.

He visited a polling station at Allithwaite, in his constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale, with all 84 Cumbria County Council seats up for election.

But Mr McDonnell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the Conservative claims were “absolute lies” and insisted the Labour manifesto would be fully costed.

Mr Davis said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s nonsensical and irresponsible ideas pose a grave risk to the future of Britain’s economy and the finances of every family in the country”.

She is confident of making a dent because the constituency was largely anti-Brexit in the 2016 referendum but is represented by staunch pro-Brexit Conservative MP Theresa Villiers. Privately, I did think we could lose about 10 seats, but they weren’t necessarily in the areas I expected.

“Of course, even if they do well in local elections they won’t tell you they’ll do particularly well in the general election because they, historically, have always done better in local elections than general elections”.

Tim Farron’s party are down nine seats so far, with a total of 111.

According to data gathered just before the 2015 election by Dr. Nicole Martin of Essex University, 65% supported the Labour, 27% the Conservatives and merely 3% the Liberal Democrats.

It lost Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend to no overall control and Blaenau Gwent to independent councillors.