It’s not game over at all – it’s game on, says party chairman

party insiders saying the dynamic was being seen in the races for the mayors overseeing Birmingham and London.

It was developments in the mayoral races, some of which were called yesterday and others due today, which were jumped on by Mr Sunak to project some optimism. Lord Houchen, the Tees Valley mayor and poster boy for Mr Johnson’s past “Red Wall” victories, had been expected to win after securing 73 per cent of the vote at his last election.

He secured 54 per cent of the vote, beating his Labour rival on 41 per cent.

Mr Sunak appeared alongside Lord Houchen, who had held the Tory government at a distance during his re-election campaign, and suggested the result offered Conservatives hope for the general election.

The Prime Minister said Labour had “assumed that Tees Valley would just stroll back to them, but it didn’t. It didn’t. People knew that they couldn’t be taken for granted.”

There were also signs that an apparent revolt from some Muslim voters against Sir Keir’s Israel-Gaza position could affect two key mayoral races whose results will be declared today.

Some Labour sources claimed that voters abandoning the party over Gaza would help Mr Street, the Tory West Midlands mayor seeking re-election in one of the most closely watched contests this cycle. His victory would be a boost for Mr Sunak. Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, conceded yesterday that Labour had lost council seats because of the war in Gaza and said the party would “earn votes back in future”.

However, the Tories failed to win the new mayoralty of York and North Yorkshire, with Sir Keir celebrating Labour’s win in Mr Sunak’s constituency. Labour’s Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham are also expected today to be re-elected as the mayors for Manchester and Liverpool respectively with ease.

There was some criticism of the Prime Minister from Tory backbenchers yesterday. But with Lord Houchen’s victory and Mr Street’s re-election looking likely even the staunchest of Tory rebels effectively admitted defeat.

Nadine Dorries, the former Tory MP who has been a harsh critic of Mr Sunak, said it would be “madness” to switch leaders this close to an election.

Richard Holden, the Conservative Party chairman, projected hope, saying: “I think it’s not game over at all. I think it’s game on.”

It came as Michael Gove’s election agent lost his seat on Woking council after the Conservative presence was wiped out in the Surrey town. Steve Dorsett was defeated in Pyrford ward by Lib Dem Attia Aslam by 385 votes.

The Levelling Up Secretary is MP for Surrey Heath, and had a majority of 18,349 at the 2019 general election.