Conservatives make historic advances across UK

CONSERVATIVES have made historic advances in local elections across the UK, gaining more than 500 councillors, winning tightly fought battles for elected mayors in the West Midlands and Tees Valley and forcing Labour into third place in its former stronghold of Scotland.

The emphatic victories – fuelled by a collapse in the Ukip vote as anti-EU supporters flocked back to the Tories – set the scene for a substantial increase in Theresa May’s House of Commons majority if repeated in the June 8 General Election.

But the Prime Minister sought to fight any complacency in Tory ranks, insisting that she was “taking nothing for granted” in an election which she hopes will strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations with Brussels.

Labour tried to play down the significance of a bruising set of results which saw it forfeit almost 300 council seats, lose control of Glasgow for the first time in around 40 years and suffer reverses in Welsh strongholds.

Describing the elections as “tough”, shadow chancellor John McDonnell took solace from the fact that they were not “the wipeout that some people predicted” and insisted there was still “all to play for” in the General Election, just five weeks away.

Liberal Democrats had a mixed election, failing to break through against the Tories in the south-west England battleground but making advances in some General Election target seats like Eastleigh and Wells.

Speaking during a visit to a factory in Brentford, west London, Mrs May said: “I will not take anything for granted and neither will the team I lead, because there is too much at stake.

“The reality is that today, despite the evident will of the British people, we have bureaucrats in Europe who are questioning our resolve to get the right deal.

“And the reality is that only a General Election vote for the Conservatives in 34 days’ time will strengthen my hand to get the best deal for Britain from Brexit.

“So today, I will continue my efforts to earn the support of you, the people.”

Asked if she had killed off Ukip, she replied: “I think if we look at what’s happened in the local elections we have taken votes from across the political spectrum.”

As Ukip shed 109 councillors while holding a solitary seat in Lancashire, leader Paul Nuttall said the party was “a victim of its own success” over Brexit. Losing seats to Tories was “a price Ukip is prepared to pay” for the prize of leaving the EU, he said.