The last Telegraph-Savanta poll before the locals is out… and Labour are **18 points** ahead.

🌹 Labour 44% (+1)
🌳 Conservative 26% (-1)
🔶 Liberal Democrat 10% (=)
🔷Reform UK 10% (+1)
🌎 Green 3% (-1)

When these council seats were up last in 2021 the Tories led by 6 points.

Coming up on Iain Dale in the Evening from 7pm on LBC...

7pm Hainault sword attack
8pm Cross Question with
Ben Riley-Smith
Jo Gideon MP
Christine Jardine 🔶
Parmjit Dhanda

9pm What's it like returning to work after a serious illness?

An unexpected political story today... Monty Panesar to stand for George Galloway’s party at the general election. telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/…

Today’s Cabinet readout a useful distillation of the economic stats the Tories will use in their re-election pitch

Inflation down, real wages growing, recent tax cuts

And a reminder of why politicos think autumn election is most likely, as these stats may well be better then

Brady proposal of stripping Tory members of their ability to pick the leader when in government gets a thumbs down from one (pro-Boris) grassroots group.
x.com/ConservativeDO…

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Conservative Party members should be stripped of the ability to pick their leader when the Tories are in government, Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee, has said.

Read more here ⬇️
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/…

Hello! I've written a piece for the Guardian about childbirth and the illness that's transformed my body and life forever. There are some jokes in it though! I think. X

This is a brilliant piece, shocking, moving, funny, everything theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2…

NEW

Scottish Greens offer an olive branch to the next Scottish first minister

Statement just issued from co-leader Patrick Harvie is notably conciliatory in tone

Opens the door to Scottish Greens supporting the next FM and working with SNP… if their policy goals are delivered

Official. Humza Yousaf goes. The 2nd SNP leader + Scottish First Minister to quit in a little over 12 months. He goes with a plea for political opponents to work with his successor. Close to tears as he mentions family. Are new elections coming in a month?
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/…

UK-Ireland stand-off over an asylum returns agreement makes our p1

James Cleverly has cancelled his meeting with Irish justice minister tomorrow. His team say diary clash

But NI Sec Chris Heaton-Harris will meet two senior Irish ministers. Press conf due
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/…

NEW

Tory critics of Rishi Sunak are calling for him to create an “election war cabinet” promoting right-wingers in a post-locals reshuffle

Names floated: Priti Patel, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Robert Jenrick

Two Tory MPs lay out their argument in The Telegraph👇
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/…

Why are the Tories braced for heavy losses in the locals on Thursday?

The last time these council seats were voted on in 2021 the Tories were six percentage points ahead of Labour in the polls… now they’re 19 pts behind.