Tories in ‘fight of their lives’ to hold London boroughs

THERESA MAY faces losing as many as half the Tory-run boroughs in London in the 2018 local elections, a Conservative election expert has warned.

Lord Hayward, who worked for David Cameron, warned that the party is on track to lose Barnet, Margaret Thatcher’s former borough, to Labour in May. Since it was first established in 1965 it has never gone to Labour.

He also suggested that the Conservatives could lose Kingston to the Liberal Democrats and face a “fight for their lives” in Wandsworth and Westminster, which could both fall to Labour.

It would leave the Tories reduced to running just five town halls among the capital’s 32.

Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, has said he hopes to win seats across the country at the local elections.

Lord Hayward told the London Evening Standard: “Nationally, the Conservatives appear to be getting themselves back together, so they may be in a better position come May to ease the losses. But they are going to have the fight of their lives to hold on to Wandsworth and Westminster. It looks like a bad night for them and a good night for Jeremy Corbyn in London.”

Across England, May local elections will be held in all 32 London boroughs, 34 metropolitan boroughs, 74 districtborough councils and 17 unitary authorities. The seats up for grabs were last contested in May 2014 – just a year before the Conservatives won a surprise Commons majority.

Mrs May’s Tories are defending 1,302 seats and control of 41 councils, while Mr Corbyn’s Labour won 2,062 seats and 78 councils last time. There are also mayoral races in Hackney, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets and Watford.

In interviews to mark the new year, Mr Corbyn spoke of his regret at failing to secure a general election victory but said he now hopes to achieve a breakthrough at the local elections.

He said: “Well, the biggest elections are going to be in the main cities, particularly London, Birmingham, Newcastle – we’re going to be working very hard on them. In London particularly, they are going to focus on housing.

“I’m hoping we do very, very well, but I’m not putting a figure on it.”