Emma Hutchinson: Local election results in the East of England are a major blow to Tory hopes

Rishi Sunak leaves Conservative Party HQ as local election results come in. Credit: PA
Rishi Sunak leaves Conservative Party HQ as local election results come in. Credit: PA

Politicians around the region will have been watching the results of the local elections come in - and are now picking over the details very closely. 

Conservative MPs had predicted these local elections would be "grim" for them and they are disappointed with the result.

One described the results in Hertfordshire to me as "very bad", though the Prime Minister and other MPs are taking a crumb of comfort from results in Peterborough, where they made gains and in Harlow.

Labour, ahead in the opinion polls nationally, had expected to make gains, and though they are thrilled with the national picture, would have hoped to make more gains in our region. 

They are pleased, though, with results in those places where they already run the council - such as in Stevenage, Luton and Cambridge. 

They also say lots of local issues are in play in elections in Cambridge.

The Liberal Democrats, who approached these elections after having done well when these seats were last contested in 2019, are very pleased to make gains, particularly in East Cambridgeshire - one of their target seats for a General Election - even if they didn't manage to take control of the council there.

And the Greens are thrilled: their aim had been majority control of their first ever council, which they achieved in Mid Suffolk 

Lib Dem leader was in celebratory mood as the results mounted up for his party. Credit: PA

What does it all mean for a General Election?

With the poll expected next year, Conservatives publicly say there is a way to go and voters are only just getting to know Rishi Sunak.

Privately, it is hard to find a Conservative MP who is confident the party can win the next election.

Labour, on the other hand, have grown in confidence over the past 24 hours, with their leader Sir Keir Starmer saying these results put them on track for a majority Labour government next year.

To do that they would need to make gains in parliamentary constituencies in the East like Ipswich, Stevenage, Milton Keynes, and Norwich North.

They say today's results in our region point in that direction.

And the Liberal Democrats say their results show they can win parliamentary seats such as South Cambridgeshire and East Cambridgeshire. 

The Greens say today's gains in Suffolk and Hertfordshire make the chance of a parliamentary seat in the Anglia region realistic.   

And Labour know that if the Liberal Democrats and Greens take votes from the Conservatives that could help them at a General Election.

Of course - having said that - it is difficult to extrapolate out from local elections what could happen in a General Election.

Local elections have a lower turnout, more independent candidates and success and not everywhere has a vote.

But after this big set of council elections, it's certainly Labour who feel more confident and Conservatives more concerned about what could happen in 2024.

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