Town hall bosses blame Boris for losses

THE PM was told to ‘take a good, strong look in the mirror’ by Tory council leaders last night after the party lost hundreds of seats across the country.

The Conservatives relinquished control of 11 local authorities, including traditional London strongholds such as Barnet and Wandsworth.

John Mallinson, leader of Carlisle City Council, hit out after Labour took control of the new Cumberland authority which will replace it. The Tories lost 14 seats to reach a point where they are barely the main opposition party above the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Mallinson told the BBC: ‘I think it is not just Partygate, there is the integrity issue.

‘Basically, I just don’t feel people any longer have the confidence that the Prime Minister can be relied upon to tell the truth.’

He said Boris Johnson would be a ‘poor option’ to lead the Tories into the next general election. In Portsmouth, where the Tories lost four seats, Conservative group leader Simon Bosher told the BBC the ‘rank and file grassroots members’ of the party are ‘bearing the brunt’ on the doorstep of recent behaviour in Westminster.

He added: ‘I think Boris does need to take a good, strong look in the mirror as well because I think he needs to look at those people that we have lost tonight.’

In Sunderland, where the Tories failed to make up ground on the ruling Labour party, Tory opposition leader Antony Mullen said: ‘The best chance of reviving the party’s fortunes will be with a new leader.’