By Jessica Frank-Keyes
Almost two thirds of Tory councillors are unhappy with the Conservative party, new polling by a Labour think tank has found.
According to research by Starmerite think tank Labour Together, almost two thirds – 65 per cent – of Conservative local councillors are not happy with the wider party.
Just 17 per cent said they were satisfied with the national party, Labour Together found, while 54 per cent said they were dissatisfied with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s leadership.
Close to half – 47 per cent – of councillors said the party was too left wing, the research revealed, after 391 Conservative councillors were surveyed throughout February and March.
When asked about the direction the country is going in, six in ten – or 61 per cent – of councillors said they were dissatisfied, while the government received a net satisfaction score of -32.
Josh Simons, Labour Together director, said: “Just weeks from the local elections, this polling underscores the scale of discontent among Conservative councillors.
“Unhappy with the direction the country is going in, fed up with leaders too weak to lead, and tired of self-defeating budget cuts imposed by Whitehall, the Tory grassroots is running out of patience.”
He added: “Local elections can be unpredictable, though. The Conservatives may hold mayoralties in Teeside and the West Midlands.
“A solid performance could be exactly what Sunak needs to steady the ship until the autumn. That would mean months more of a Prime Minister who always puts party before country.”
It comes as deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden has hinted a January 2025 election is possible, after Sunak insisted he is preparing for a poll in the second half of this year.
Dowden said 2024 “almost certainly is an election year” as he spoke to the media on Sunday, suggesting the prospect of a later date has not been ruled out.
Sunak has said he intends to call an election in the second half of the year, with October or November seen by many as the favoured period.
The latest possible date he could delay the poll until is January 28, 2025.
The Conservative Party has been contacted for comment.
