Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says his party is on track to win the next general election after the Tories were hammered in local polls across England. The story of these local elections however appear to be Tory disaster rather than Labour triumph. The BBC’s Projected National Share (PNS) of the vote – based on key wards – suggests that Labour would struggle to win a majority at a general election on the basis of last night’s performance.
The BBC’s PNS gives Labour 35 per cent, Conservatives on 26 per cent, the Liberal Democrats 20 per cent and others 19 per cent. It is the biggest Labour lead over the Conservatives at the local elections since 1997 – but it’s also the same vote share which the party won last year. Jeremy Corbyn secured 35 per cent in 2018, a year before his defeat, while Ed Miliband managed 38 per cent in 2012.
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