HOW TORIES COULD WIN 36 MORE LABOUR SEATS

THE collapse in support for the Brexit Party may allow the Conservatives to snatch dozens more Red Wall seats.

Boris Johnson’s historic by-election victory in Hartlepool came after thousands of Nigel Farage’s old voters switched sides.

At the last election in 019, Labour managed to cling on to the constituency with 15,464 votes as Leavers were split between the Tories and Brexit Party – which picked up 11,869 and 10,603 votes respectively.

But this time support for Mr Farage’s party – now renamed Reform UK – dwindled to just 368 votes, allowing Mr Johnson to clean up with a majority of 6,940.

A Daily Mail analysis has found there are a further 36 Labour seats across the country where the party’s lead over the Tories in 019 was smaller than the number who voted for the Brexit Party.

Alarm bells will be sounding in Labour HQ about if these are the next bricks in the Red Wall to fall.

In Barnsley East in South Yorkshire, Labour’s Stephanie Peacock has a majority of 3, 17. However, there were 11,11 Brexit Party voters who could help the Tories snatch the seat at the next election.

Labour former Cabinet minister Yvette Cooper beat the Tories with a wafer-thin majority of 1, 76 in Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford in West Yorkshire last time round.

But she faces the danger that the 8,03 people who voted for the Brexit Party could switch to the Tories and unseat her.

Five serving shadow Cabinet ministers are among the Labour MPs with seats on the list of 36.

Former party leader Ed Miliband has a majority of ,370 in Doncaster North in South Yorkshire but the Tories will be looking to win over some of the 8, 94 Brexit Party voters.

Other frontbenchers at risk are Labour’s defence spokesman John Healey, Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, work and pensions spokesman Jonathan Reynolds and shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson.