Newspapers across the UK have been discussing the responses of politicians to the country’s recent local elections, with much of the focus on the Conservative Party’s performance. Many MPs are reportedly urging Chancellor Rishi Sunak to communicate a clear “vision” for the future of the country, in order to increase the chances of the Tories being re-elected for another five years. Other reports suggest that Downing Street has abandoned plans for a summer election, with Sunak hoping that improved economic conditions and deportation flights to Rwanda will help boost his re-election prospects ahead of a widely expected poll in the autumn.
Meanwhile, Labour is said to be planning to target the south of England heavily at the next general election, after many traditionally Conservative “blue wall” seats turned red in the local elections. This strategy is seen as a response to the party’s strong showing in the north of England and other traditionally Labour-supporting areas. The Guardian also reports on the death of actor Bernard Hill, who played Theoden in the Lord of the Rings films, at the age of 79.
Senior Conservative MPs have been quoted in the Express as claiming that the party failed to retain some of its usual voters in the local elections due to anger at the government’s record. The paper argues that only “big tax cuts and growth” can save the Tories at this stage. However, former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has argued that the next election is still “up for grabs” if the Conservatives can successfully fight for it.
The Times reports that Sunak has seized on projections from an elections expert that suggest Labour would fall short of an overall majority if local election results were replicated in a general election. Finally, the Daily Mail focuses on the election of “dozens of pro-Palestinian campaigners” as councillors, following the recent war in Gaza
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