Britain election

Britain’s Conservatives are on track to lose almost 550 seats in local elections in the worst performance since Tony Blair led the Labour Party in the 1990s, a survey predicts. Labour will hold 3500 council seats, a gain of more than 800, while the Tories will retain just under 980, a fall of 548, according to the survey of 1749 adults in the 201 councils going to the polls on Friday. Labour could gain 16 councils in a 6 per cent swing. The findings, if replicated on Friday, will be seen as a backlash by voters over “Partygate”, for which Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak have already been fined, and anger over the Government’s handling of the cost of living crisis. The results could fuel further speculation over Johnson’s leadership although rebels plotting to oust him have targeted the publication of civil servant Sue Gray’s report on Partygate as the moment they could renew their push.