Local elections show Rishi Sunak must act fast to prove the Tories are still up for the fight

THE only consolation for the Tories is that, while Rishi Sunak isn’t flavour of the month, nobody seems hungry for Sir Keir Starmer, PM.

But this was not a popularity contest, it was a proper election.

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And on the basis of votes cast and seats lost, the Tories are in for a pasting next year - with the experts predicting Labour will become the biggest party in a hung Parliament.

Labour support barely rose, but the government suffered close to its “worst case” nightmare number of losses.

“This is our final warning,” a senior Tory insisted last night.

UK inflation remains among the highest in Europe.

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Rishi - whose personal poll rating is better than Sir Keir’s - needs to act fast to prove the Tories are still up for the fight.

The alternative is a bickering, faction-ridden, wishy-washy Lab-Lib coalition led by a man who has betrayed every promise he made in Opposition - and will do the same as Prime Minister.