Lessons learned from the local elections

The Conservative Party made a net loss of 474 councillors, lost control of 10 local authorities, 10 police and crime commissioners . .

One of the better results of the night was the mayoralty of West Midlands, which the incumbent Tory, Andy Street, lost by just 1,508 votes. Street was a popular mayor and a notable centrist.

So what lessons did former Home Secretary Suella Braverman draw from these results? Evidence perhaps of an appetite for Street's more moderate and consensual style over the politics of bluster and division?

No, apparently Tory voters were "on strike" (despite their natural aversion to industrial action . . ) and PM Rishi Sunak needs to "take ownership" of the crisis by:

* Lowering more taxes (and cutting essential public services, of course)
* Putting a cap on legal migration
* Leaving the European Convention on Human Rights

With friends like these . . 🤣

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

The Tories know they are going to lose and at this stage it's a case of damage limitations.

Reform is polling well, Tory voters have given up on winning so Sunak is trying to hold onto the base so they can still have say 250 Mps. That is the plan. It does make a bit of electoral sense (within their own terms) but it's not working. Sunak looks like a nice city boy and nobody thinks this posh multicultural man cares about people in small boats stealing our jobs. They are not stealing our jobs but I'm not the GB news viewer he's trying to talk to.

I've lost all respect for Sunak. I did think he was a relatively (lolz) decent and benign Tory. He's willing to go along with any dishonest argument and abandon any liberal principle he ever had just to make his legacy a bit less of a disaster. He's dragging British political discourse further into the rightwing gutter as he goes. Screw him.

MartinII · 70-79, M

@Burnley123 I agree. I despise him more than any of his predecessors as Tory leader since Heath, though May runs him close.

SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

@Burnley123 He appeared to be a competent and relatively independent Chancellor. When he followed Liz Truss most of us breathed a sigh of relief. But most effective leadership has emanated from the Treasury since the financial hiccup and he has revealed himself to be inexperienced and inconsistent.

It is a pity. He could actually have left a fairly positive legacy if he would act consistently out of personal conviction rather than always following the opinion polls. 6-9 months of playing to the gallery will not be fun for any of us.

Questions that should be put to every prospective MP, not least those from wealthy and privileged backgrounds, are why do they want to enter parliament in the first place; and what benefit will they bring to public life. I struggle to think. of answers to either on behalf of the PM.