A Nottinghamshire Conservative MP is giving Rishi Sunak the 'benefit of the doubt' after local elections saw the party lose more than 30 councillors in the county. Across the country, the Conservative Party lost more than 1,000 councillors in an election which saw Labour being returned as the largest party in local government for the first time since 2002.
In Nottinghamshire, the Conservatives lost full control of Newark and Sherwood District Council, one of two district and borough authorities which were previous strongholds. In the other, Rushcliffe Borough Council, the party kept control but lost five councillors in the process.
Mansfield MP and Nottinghamshire County Council leader, Ben Bradley, has organised a letter to the Prime Minister which asks for help in trying to "demonstrate clearly on the doorstep what Conservative policies mean in the real world". The letter, also signed by Nottinghamshire MPs including Bassetlaw's Brendan Clarke-Smith and Gedling's Tom Randall, says "this must happen urgently, before the summer".
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Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, Mr Bradley said: "We're still probably 18 months away from a general election and that's a long time in politics, but clearly it wasn't a brilliant night for the Conservative Party nationally. We predicted that level of seat losses but still, particularly on a local level, it's a great shame to see friends and colleagues who have worked really hard lose their seats.
"It was a mixed bag I think in Nottinghamshire, we've gained seats in Bassetlaw, Mansfield, held on to Rushcliffe, so there are some positives to take from it. But there were also losses in Newark and in Broxtowe, there are different circumstances that we need to understand.
"But the big thing for me is that I think if the Prime Minister delivers on the things he is talking about, those key priorities, then people will accept that and will trust that. If he doesn't, we're going to have a difficult time."
Overall, the Conservative Party lost 31 councillors in Nottinghamshire, including being left without a single Nottingham City Council member for the first time in history. There were small gains in Gedling, Bassetlaw and Mansfield, meaning the party was down 23 councillors overall.
Lilian Greenwood, Labour MP for Nottingham South, said: "I am delighted that the people of Nottingham voted so overwhelmingly to endorse the work of the new Labour leadership at Nottingham City Council with an incredible 51 seats last Thursday. This positive result was repeated up and down the country as voters made Labour the largest party in local government since 2002 and moved us one step closer to a Labour government in 2024.
"Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak - an unelected Prime Minister who lost his last election to Liz Truss - lost over 1,000 councillors, 40 councils and failed to get a single Conservative councillor elected in Nottingham for the first time in history. These results are clear evidence that the public are sick and tired of 13 years of the Tories crashing our economy, driving our NHS into the ground and giving jobs to their sleazy mates.
"It's time the British public were given the chance to choose their Government to put our country on a better path." But Ben Bradley said the swings to Labour were not enough for the party to win at the next general election, expected in 2024.
He added: "They're not there yet, I think it would be rash to say that Labour are set for a big election victory. It's all to play for.
"It's inevitable after 13 years in Government and a big, big majority last time, we will be trying to hold on to seats rather than trying to go and chase new ones. The Prime Minister has only been there for a few months, so I give him the benefit of the doubt.
"I've been in Parliament this week saying we need to get delivery, we need to get visible outcomes for residents... He's heard that and we'll see what he's able to deliver over the course of the next year."
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