Labour could lose nearly 1,600 council seats at the local elections even on a good night, new research suggests.
In a best-case scenario, Labour could still lose 1,597 council seats across England and nearly 2,000 seats in the worst-case – in a set of local election results that could seal Keir Starmer’s fate as PM.
Labour currently has 2,196 councillors across the seats up for election, meaning a good result for the party would still leave the party’s number of locally elected representatives dwindling in the hundreds.
Labour is also on track to come third in both the Scottish and Welsh elections, the polling shows.
With less than a month until voters head to the polls, three in four Brits think things are getting worse under Labour.
And Sir Keir remains by far the least liked political leader among voters the research reveals, with a net approval score of -43. Kemi Badenoch is the most admired leader on -13.
This comes as Sir Keir is fighting for his political survival after it emerged Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting for the post of US Ambassador but was appointed regardless.
In a lukewarm show of support for the embattled Prime Minister, Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said yesterday he expected Sir Keir to lead Labour into the next general election, ‘but there are no certainties’ in politics.
In a best-case scenario, Labour could still lose 1,597 council seats across England and nearly 2,000 seats in the worst-case – in a set of local election results that could seal Keir Starmer ’s fate as PM
Nigel Farage’s party is predicted to gain between 1273 and 1603 seats, the research from polling firm More in Common suggests
Reform UK stand to gain from Labour’s deepening unpopularity, with Nigel Farage’s party predicted to gain between 1273 and 1603 seats, the research from polling firm More in Common suggests. The party currently has 78 local councillors across the seats to be contested next month.
And the research shows Labour potentially losing control of Sunderland City Council – which has been held by Labour since its formation.
The polling reveals Reform would win the Sunderland Central constituency in a general election tomorrow with 37 per cent of the vote, and Labour 12 points behind.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson would also lose her Houghton and Sunderland South seat.
Sir Keir’s party may also struggle in Birmingham City Council, which has been held by Labour since 2011 – with 55 per cent of residents saying the council is heading in the wrong direction.
And if a general election were held tomorrow, Labour would win just four of the nine Birmingham constituencies according to More In Common’s polling – with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s seat at risk.
While Hackney in London has long been a Labour stronghold, the research suggests its seats could fall into the single digits.
Local elections will be held on May 7, with 5,014 council seats up for election across 136 local authorities in England, including all London boroughs.