Overview

• Kemi Badenoch has cautioned Conservative supporters to expect significant losses in the upcoming local elections, describing the contest as 'very difficult' for the party.
• Nigel Farage’s Reform UK leads national polls, with projections suggesting the party could disrupt traditional party dynamics, though its local by-election performance has been modest.
• Labour and Conservative strategists are focusing on key marginal voters to counter Reform UK’s rise, emphasizing targeted campaign efforts in select areas.
• More than half of the council seats up for election were last contested in 2021 during the Conservatives' 'vaccine bounce,' marking a high point for the party now under threat.
• The Liberal Democrats have criticized the Conservatives for conceding defeat prematurely, while Labour has deployed new technology to engage undecided voters.