Rishi Sunak has declined to apologise after nearly 1,000 Conservative councillors lost their seat in the local elections last week.
The Prime Minister was under pressure after the defeat neared the worst-case prediction for the party, in what was deemed a stark warning of things to come at the next general election.
Mr Sunak's party shed 48 local authorities and 962 councillors, but he remained defiant despite heavy losses. He conceded the results were 'disappointing', but said he was 'not detecting any massive groundswell of movement towards the Labour Party or excitement for its agenda'.
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Speaking to broadcasters today (May 8), he declined to apologise to nearly 1,000 councillors from his party who lost their seat, as he vowed to 'work night and day' to achieve his priorities, the PA news agency reports.
The Prime Minister said: "I know that people want us to deliver for them on their priorities. I know that’s not going to happen overnight but we’re going to strain every sinew to do exactly that.”
He reiterated his five priorities for the nation, adding: "I believe those are the country’s priorities, those are my priorities and I’m going to work night and day to deliver on them for everyone."
But asked whether he would apologise to the 960 Tories who lost their seats, Mr Sunak said: “It’s always disappointing to lose hard working Conservative councillors and I said that at the time.”
Labour gained 632 seats and seized 22 councils, including ones that would be hotly contested at a general election – such as Swindon, Medway, Stoke-on-Trent, Dover and East Staffordshire.
The Liberal Democrats had what Sir Ed Davey hailed as the 'best result in decades', taking 12 local authorities and 417 seats.
"It’s little wonder Rishi Sunak is running scared of a general election, because he knows the Liberal Democrats are set to take swathes of seats across the Conservative Party’s former heartlands," Sir Ed said.
Sir Keir’s party was projected to have won a nine-point lead over the Conservatives if all of Britain had gone to the polls, as the Tories slid backwards.
Vote share analysis by the BBC put Labour on 35 per cent, the Tories on 26pc and the Lib Dems on 20pc. That was the same for Labour last year, but the Conservatives had sunk from 30pc.
The broadcaster said the projection would make Labour by far the largest party but it would fall 14 seats of an outright majority, though voters are likely to act differently in a general election.
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