RISHI Sunak has conceded for the first time that the Conservatives may not win the next General Election following a disastrous defeat in the local elections.
It comes as Tory rebels warned him to change his political course after the party lost almost 400 seats in the local polls and unexpectedly lost the West Midlands mayoral race to Labour.
With the results of all 107 councils in England that held elections on May 2 declared, Labour has won 1158 seats, an increase of more than 200.
READ MORE: LETTERS: English local election results have given a gift to the SNP
Speaking to The Times, Sunak suggested the UK was on course for a hung Parliament but claimed voters would not want to see Labour leader Keir Starmer “propped up in Downing Street” by the SNP or smaller parties.
Sunak pointed to Sky News analysis of the local election results which suggested Labour would be the largest party in a hung Parliament, though voters in national polls tend to behave differently, with fewer of them opting for smaller parties.
“These results suggest we are heading for a hung Parliament with Labour as the largest party,” Sunak told The Times.
“Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.
“The country doesn’t need more political horse trading, but action. We are the only party that has a plan to deliver on the priorities of the people.”
Labour sought to dispel suggestions it would consider a coalition with the SNP after the next election.
Pat McFadden, the party’s national campaign co-ordinator, said: “Our aim is to win a majority, to govern, to meet the mood for change, and we’re not planning any alliances or pacts with anyone.”
Former home secretary Suella Braverman urged the Prime Minister to change course rightwards to win back voters.
But she said a change of leadership was not a “feasible prospect”, adding: “There is no superman or superwoman out there who can do it.”
Among the measures Braverman has urged the Prime Minister to adopt to win back voters are further tax cuts and a cap on legal migration.
Tory grandee Sir John Hayes signalled the Prime Minister should reshuffle his Cabinet, with his close ally Braverman as a voice at the table for what he called the “authentic Tory part of the Conservative Party”.
But Conservative moderates warned against Sunak lurching rightwards, with outgoing West Midlands mayor Andy Street claiming after his loss that “winning from that centre ground is what happens”.
Damian Green, chairman of the One Nation Group of Tory moderates, made a similar plea on the BBC’s Westminster Hour.
“I would just observe the seats that we have lost in the past few days – we lost to parties to the left of us. So I think suggesting that what we need to do is to move to the right is irrational in the face of the electorate,” he said.
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