Tories LEAD Labour by THREE points in polls as voters punish Starmer in latest batch of council elections

Labour polled 25 per cent, just six percentage points ahead of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK on 19 per cent.

The polling also revealed where the Conservatives were enjoying their resurgence, namely South East England where they polled 36 per cent of the vote, followed by Wales (31 per cent) East England (30 per cent) and the West Midlands (30 per cent).

Meanwhile Reform recorded their strongest polling in South West England and North East England (both 28 per cent) and Wales (26 per cent).

This comes after another batch of council elections declared last night and this morning.

The Conservatives fared best, winning another four seats and bringing their aggregate total of council seats won since July 4 to +21.

Reform won two seats- one in Kent and one in Dartford, bringing their aggregate total to +5.

Interestingly, most of these were won while the party was effectively leaderless, highlighting the unpopularity of Starmer’s premiership.

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Labour meanwhile lost 22 seats as disillusioned voters turn away over several unpopular decisions.

These include cutting winter fuel payments for pensioners, capping farmers’ inheritance tax reliefs, removing the bus fare cap, releasing prisoners early, raising university tuition fees, not to mention rows over extensive donations and the politicisation of the civil service.

Add to that the Sue Gray fiasco, surrendering the Chagos Islands, Reeves’ biggest tax raising budget in history and Ed Miliband's eco-energy crusade and you’re left with a Prime Minister whose popularity rating has fallen in record speed, from +11 before the election to -38 this week.

Despite national polling hovering around 20 per cent, Reform UK have enjoyed mixed fortunes at council elections since July 4.

Farage’s party has recorded the largest vote share increase of 6.4 per cent, but this has only converted to five council seats.

The next major batch of elections are due in May 2025 with 21 county councils, nine unitary councils, one metropolitan borough council and Isle of Scilly and City of London councils up for grabs.