Labour: Party ‘braced for losses’ in May’s council elections

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The challenge facing Labour’s next leader has been laid bare by internal research suggesting the party is facing “one of its worst” results in recent history in May’s local elections.

An internal party document, passed to the BBC, says it should brace itself for the loss of councils including Plymouth, Amber Valley and Harlow.

In a worst-case scenario, Labour risks losing 315 seats and control of historic strongholds such as Sheffield.

Voters go to the polls on 7 May.

Seats in about 118 councils in England will be up for grabs.

Mr Corbyn’s successor as Labour leader will be announced on 4 April, leaving them with barely a month to lead the party into its most significant electoral test since December’s general election defeat.

The challenge facing whichever of Sir Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey or Lisa Nandy wins the contest is laid bare in an internal party document based on research from Labour’s Targeting and Analysis team.

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It says the party is facing “one of our worst local election performances in recent history” in England and should brace itself for the loss of “hard working councillors” across the country.

The document examines three different scenarios, based on varying polling methods – and taking into account Labour’s general election performance.

These suggest the so-called Red Wall, breached so spectacularly by the Conservatives in December’s general election, is continuing to crumble in some areas.

In every scenario, Labour would lose control of Plymouth, Harlow in Essex, Amber Valley in Derbyshire and West Lancashire. In two scenarios Southampton would be lost and in the worst-case scenario, the bastion of Sheffield, held by Labour for most of the last 75 years, would also fall.

In this scenario, Labour would lose control of another nine councils, with 315 councillors across England losing their seats.

Only Wirral, where Labour is currently running a minority administration, and Burnley, where Labour is already the largest party in a “hung” council, are listed as possible gains.

The document suggests that the situation could be even worse as the party’s polling hasn’t taken into account the recent Conservative poll “bounce” but it adds that it can not yet estimate the effect of a change of leadership on the election results.

To state the obvious, that leader will have their work cut out.