Rees-Mogg: We’ll bounce back from local polls blow

JACOB Rees-Mogg insists the Tories will bounce back if their results in the local elections are less than “stellar”.

The Brexit Opportunities Minister said Margaret Thatcher was often punished in council polls but would get comfortable majorities at general elections.

More than 5,000 seats are up for grabs in Thursday’s voting with Conservatives and Labour playing down their fortunes.

Results

Mr Rees-Mogg expects the Tories to “do better than we did” in the dismal 2019 European elections, when they took less than 10 per cent of the vote.

He said: “I grew up in the 1980s and got used to local election results that were not exactly stellar, so I think one always has to contextualise local elections.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng insisted Boris Johnson “absolutely” would still be leader regardless of the results. He said: “I don’t think his leadership is at threat at all. Boris is the right man by far to lead us into the next election.”

But former Foreign Secretary

Jeremy Hunt is reported to be preparing to launch a leadership bid if Mr Johnson is forced from power in the wake of the results.

Allies of Mr Hunt claim he will brand himself a “safe pair of hands” if the time comes to run.

Meanwhile, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have denied they have struck a secret pact to stand aside for each other in certain local election seats to keep out the Conservatives.

Tory chairman Oliver Dowden

has written to Sir Keir Starmer asking him to explain why Labour is standing fewer candidates in parts of southern England than it did in 2018.

But the Labour leader said: “I wouldn’t take anything Oliver Dowden says particularly seriously. The fact he is spending Sunday attacking Labour, why doesn’t he say

something about the cost-of-living crisis? There is no pact.” Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey also denied any agreement, adding: “In fact, in these local elections we are fighting Labour in many areas. This is pretty desperate from the Tories.”