Reuters: Reuters
Dire election results are becoming a dangerous habit for the Conservatives.
From last year’s local elections, to by-elections since and these election results, the picture for Rishi Sunak is consistently bleak.
In contrast, and blackening that Tory mood still further, Labour’s knack of winning where they need to win to win a general election.
Strikingly, though, there is no sign, yet at least, of this prompting Conservative insurrection against the prime minister. Why?
The results for them are grim but perhaps no more grim than feared.
One senior figure suggested Conservative MPs were “remarkably chilled”.
A former cabinet minister said the results were “not catastrophic”, while also tacitly accepting they pointed to likely general election defeat.
Labour are confident of exactly that – that these results point to them being on track to winning a majority.
The Liberal Democrats see eence of their capacity to capitalise on Conservative woe; Reform UK too.
And the trend of a steady rise for the Green Party in local politics continues. In essence, these results cement the status quo – a buoyant Labour Party, the Conservatives morose, the smaller parties chipper.
