Tories lose castles: Johnson collapse in local elections

The Tories lose the forts
Defeat to Johnson in local elections

05/06/2022 08:57 am

The Partygate affair is apparently leaving its mark: Prime Minister Johnson’s British Conservatives are losing control of traditional Tory districts in local elections. “This is a warning from conservative voters,” he said.

In the local elections in Great Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative party suffered a bitter setback. According to preliminary results, the Tories lost control of the cities of Barnett and Wandsworth in London, which had been firmly in their hands for decades. “This is a warning from Conservative voters,” said Daniel Thomas, Tory chairman of the Bornet Borough Council. The opposition Labor Party also claimed victory in Westminster, a prestigious and longtime Conservative-dominated district of central London.

Elections in thousands of municipalities and districts on Thursday were the first major test of sentiment since Johnson was subjected to massive pressure over what is known as party corruption. Despite the current Corona lockdowns, voters are dissatisfied with allegations that parties are being held at the Prime Minister’s official residence.

But there is also a focus on the drastically increased cost of living. A weak election result could raise Johnson’s critics in his own ranks who doubt his ability to win a majority in the parliamentary elections to be held at the end of 2024.

In Scotland and Wales, voters were called on Thursday to elect new local and county councils. New regional parliament elected in Northern Ireland. Voting should not start until this Friday. The results are expected to be released later today. According to opinion polls, the Catholic-Republican party Sinn Fin is poised to become the first stronghold in Northern Ireland’s former troubled province.