English local elections: Johnson hails 'incredible' vaccine at Tory launch

Boris Johnson has hailed the role of the "free market economy" in the UK's coronavirus jab rollout as he launched the party's local election push.

The prime minister called on activists to remind voters about the "incredible scientific breakthrough" of the vaccine ahead of May's elections in England.

Mr Johnson said one difference between the Tories and Labour was a belief in the need for "capitalist energy".

The party leader said the UK would recover "jab by jab, job by job".

He told activists at a virtual party forum: "Let's not be put off our stride. Let's remember that across the country it is Conservatives, Conservative councils and Conservative councillors that deliver better value for money. And let's take our great one nation message to the people."

The 6 May elections will include polls for district and county councils, police and crime commissioners and city mayors, including in London.

Voting in Scottish and Welsh parliament elections will take place on the same day and there will be a parliamentary by-election in Hartlepool.

• 'Covid-safe' English local polls to go ahead in May

• Door-to-door campaigning to be allowed from March

In a pre-recorded speech filmed and broadcast by the Conservative Party, Mr Johnson championed investment in communities through measures like the reversal of the Beeching railway cuts and money for new green buses.

He said that Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Budget showed the party was "holding taxes down and spending wisely" and harnessing the advantages brought about through Brexit.

Mr Johnson said he had spoken with "amazing" scientists in Scotland at a plant making a "variant-busting vaccine". And in Northern Ireland, the PM said he had visited engineers working on 3D technology.

In Wales, he championed a Wrexham factory that is packaging vials of vaccine "to fight and defeat the armies of disease".

Meanwhile, opponents "would literally try to smash up" the United Kingdom "and destroy forever the formula for British success", he said.

Conservative co-chairman Amanda Milling has warned party members that Labour could see a "post-Corbyn bounce" under Sir Keir Starmer.

In her speech, Ms Milling said the Tories must defend an "incredibly high base" of almost 2,000 council seats that they currently hold in England.

The contests are Sir Keir's first since becoming Labour leader last April, with last May's elections having been postponed because of coronavirus.

Launching Labour's local election push earlier this month, Sir Keir said: "Every vote in this election is a chance to show the Conservatives that the British people value our NHS and our key workers so much more than this government does."