Poll shows Labour 17 points ahead of the Tories with just two days to go until crucial local elections – despite Rishi Sunak’s personal ratings improving
Keir Starmer has been boosted by a poll showing Labour 17 points ahead just two days ahead of crucial local elections.
Sir Keir’s party has stretched out its advantage over the Tories despite signs of improvement in Rishi Sunak’s personal ratings.
The Redfield & Wilton Strategies research found Labour’s support running at 45 per cent – up one from a week ago – while the Conservatives were down one on 28 per cent.
In another worrying sign for Mr Sunak, the Lib Dems – hoping to make big gains in the England council contests – were up to 12 per cent.
Although the poll gap has been narrowing slightly in recent months and Mr Sunak’s personal approval rating of minus five is his best since January, the findings will cast a shadow over Tory hopes they can avoid disaster on Thursday.
Keir Starmer has been boosted by a poll showing Labour 17 points ahead of the Tories just two days ahead of crucial local elections
The contests are seen as a key waypointer ahead of the general election next year.
Although ministers have been talking up the prospective losses for the Conservatives – with party chair Greg Hands suggesting a thousand councillors could go – MPs have been seeing glimmers of optimism on the ground.
Some are even hoping that setbacks in traditional heartlands will be offset by gains in areas such as the Midlands.
They will have been encouraged by Sir Keir’s woes over appointing Sue Gray as his chief of staff, with a review into whether she broke civil service rules due imminently.
The Labour leader also confirmed today that he is ditching a pledge to scrap tuition fees, admitting it is not affordable.
Experts point out that the measures of success are particularly complicated in these local elections.
Around 90 per cent of the 8,000 seats were last up for grabs four years ago, when Theresa May was struggling to get her Brexit deal through.
Rishi Sunak (left) and Keir Starmer (right) are bracing for local election results that could give a clearer indication of who will be in Downing Street after next year
But Labour was also failing to make major inroads with an unpopular leader in Jeremy Corbyn.
Although Labour is now enjoying double-digit poll leads, the gap has been drifting downwards recently.
Elections guru Sir John Curtice has said current standings suggest a four to five point swing from the Tories to Labour next week – which would mean significant losses but probably not 1,000 seats.
One veteran Tory told MailOnline that Labour has allowed the bar to be set very high, and could find it difficult to paint even a respectable result as a success.
The national vote share will be watched especially carefully, with 40 per cent a minimum for Labour to look on track for a general election win.
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