Tories face 'losing 500 seats' in election hammering by Reform in North and Lib Dems in London commuter belt

Kemi Badenoch (left) is seeking to stop Nigel Farage’s Reform UK winning hundreds of council seats from the Tories - (ES Composite)

The Tories face losing around 500 seats in the May 1 local elections with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK expected to make major gains, according to a leading pollster.

Kemi Badenoch’s party will be defending more than 900 seats, and Labour around 280, once boundary changes are taken into account.