08 May, 2017
Theresa May has insisted she is "taking nothing for granted" following emphatic local election victories which have sparked predictions she is heading for a landslide in the June 8 General Election.
Those still optimistic of a shock Labour win have pointed to the fact that opinion polls have been wrong in the past, including at the 2015 general election when they consistently predicted a hung Parliament but the result was a small Tory majority.
At the time of writing, the Tories had gained an extra 560 councillors. The wins, combined with Labout losing seven councils, deflated the left-wing party's hopes for the general election after they worked to close the polls.
She said: "This was a council election that the SNP fought on local issues, which is probably why the SNP won the election so emphatically".
"Since I became prime minister, I've been determined to make sure this is a government that works for the whole country and it is encouraging that we have won support across the whole of the United Kingdom", she said in a press conference.
"They are so determined not to be questioned on their plans, the Prime Minister refuses to take part in any TV debates and will only visit workplaces if there are no workers there, just her own party's activists", he will say.
Theresa May says the election is not in the bag despite strong local gains.
The Conservatives' performance was the best by any governing party in 40 years, inflicting heavy losses on Labour.
"I think Labour party members are at their best when it is tough and they have to come out fighting", he said.
He said the Labour manifesto for the June 8 General Election will also include a promise of no rises in personal national insurance contributions (NICs) or Value-Added Tax over the course of the five-year parliament, due to end in 2022.
The Liberal Democrats increased their share of the vote by 7%, but lost almost 40 seats in total.
According to experts, if the results of Thursday's polls in Wales, Scotland and county councils in England were repeated nationally, the Conservatives would be on 38 per cent, Labour 27 per cent, the Liberal Democrats 18 per cent and UKIP 5 per cent.
She said: "Just as we doubled our numbers of MSPs previous year, and doubled our number of councillors last week, we now we have to double our efforts over these next four-and-a-half weeks".
"Labour has failed as an opposition and handed Theresa May a blank cheque to do as she pleases".
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has challenged her party to redouble efforts over the next month.
"We will stand up for everyone who doesn't want a second referendum on independence".
