Conservatives brace for election losses

Polling evidence suggests voters have turned away from the Conservatives

The Conservatives are braced for electoral losses across the West.

Voters will be choosing several major councils as well as police and crime commissioners at the polls on Thursday 2 May.

Pollsters say many have turned their back on the Conservatives – and there is plenty of evidence.

During the campaign I have visited several key electoral battlegrounds.

All bar Bristol have Conservative MPs. Some, like Gloucester, also have Conservative-run councils.

I found many whose views have shifted.

“I’ve been voting Conservative always in the past,” said one woman. “I would definitely look at other parties."

Asked about his voting intention a man told me: “In the past Conservative but this time I think I may change my mind.”

Another said he would reluctantly stick with the Tories.

“No, it’s not an easy choice, but it’s the lesser of two evils,” he said.

Changes coming

Watching with keen interest is Lord Robert Hayward. He was a former MP for Kingswood and is now a political analyst.

“The Conservatives in Gloucester are likely to go backwards,” he said.

Additionally, the Tory clean sweep in the West’s 2021 Police and Crime Commissioner elections might not be repeated.

“While the Conservatives won them all last time, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see changes,” Lord Hayward said.

In Bristol, the electoral battle has a very different complexion.

The city is abandoning having an elected mayor, so the contest to dominate the council chamber matters much more.

Labour hope to stay in charge – while the Greens have poured in resources, hoping to come out on top.

What happens in Bristol, as well as Swindon, Stroud, Gloucester and Cheltenham is not just about council control.

It is about who will be in pole position for the General Election coming later this year.