Our principal opposition is the Green Party. But we believe in the need for effective action, not gestures, to provide a better environment.
The pandemic forced us to work in a different way. Digitalisation has seen massive savings of £58 million.
We ran a data-driven campaign to identify our targets and ensure we could win. Our local team knows we would have made further gains if many Conservatives hadn’t decided to stay at home.
There is an unwritten rule that divided parties do not win elections. Over the last 18 months or so, there has been open rebellion within the Conservative Group.
Turnout is key. It is not necessary to convert Conservative abstainers to Conservatism. The challenge is to convert the Government to Conservatism. But the Prime Minister can not be blamed for trees being chopped down in Plymouth.
The evidence from the local elections is not that the voters are abandoning the Tories to back Reform or Ukip , but parties of the centre and the left. Their situation is bad, but it can be made worse.
Sunak deserves more time to deliver on his pledges. In any case, the decision today is about choosing councillors with a practical, value for money, approach.
We should be winning back seats lost in 2019. But I have found big dissatisfaction with the national direction of Government on the doorstep.
At times it does get a bit nasty. But the truth is if you’re not prepared for this, then being a councillor is really not the role for you.
As the place where the first cracks appeared in the Red Wall, our region is of huge political significance, and results here matter.
To that end, it is imperative that the campaign is well backed. We must have a core set of messages on issues that apply across the whole of London.
From Sandwell to Solihull, Bromsgrove to Wolverhampton, Dudley to Tamworth, we have been out to help the amazing local teams who have been working so tirelessly to hold and gain Council seats.
George Smith, the local Conservative leader, expects to beat Residents for Uttlesford, but faces acutely difficult decisions about how many houses to build.
The Mayor has no mandate for this irresponsible move. It was not in his Manifesto. Let’s put the power back in the hands of Londoners.
Local associations want to be able to select parliamentary candidates as early as possible. I completely agree. Therefore, I am delighted to announce that the first tranche of constituencies is being advertised today.