The Tories just lost ALL FIVE by-elections they were defending in 'worst night of local elections since Theresa May became leader'

The Conservative Party were defending five council seats in by-elections last night. But, in news that will make even the most optimistic Tory supporter hugely nervous with just 8 weeks to go until local elections on May 3rd, Theresa May's party managed to lose control of every single one of them in what has been described as the "party’s worst night of local elections" since Theresa May became leader.

In the first result of the night in East Hampshire, the Tories lost an astounding 20.8% of the vote as an Independent candidate swept to victory - with even the Lib Dems managing to overtake the Tories to finish in second place:

https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/971886024967192577

In Hemel Hemstead the Tories managed to lose an even bigger vote share, plummeting 32.1% as the Lib Dems swept to victory:

https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/971891803510202368

In Rochester the Tories only lost 4% of the vote share, but due to a massive Labour increase of 26.5%, the Tories managed to lose their third seat of the evening.

https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/971894222231166978

In Rutland another Independent candidate swept to victory in a two-horse race to inflict a humiliating fourth defeat of the evening on Theresa May's increasingly beleaguered party:

https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/971895251857272832

And in the final result of the night in Nottingham, the Labour party managed to scrape by the Tories to gain yet another council by-election seat in surely the worst night of elections for the party since Theresa May's General Election humiliation:

https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/971902921855131649

People across the country will be taking to the polls again in a massive round of local elections on May 3rd, and should Theresa May's party suffer the same sort of sweeping defeats as they did last night, the Prime Minister's position would look increasingly untenable.

It has already been reported that senior officials in the Conservative Party are extremely worried about sustaining heavy losses in the upcoming local elections, and 'crunch talks' were said to be happening after pollsters predicted unprecedented losses for the party across London.

As Evolve have previously reported, the party's poll numbers are now so bad that "even overwhelmingly Conservative-voting areas such as Wandsworth, Westminster, Barnet, and even Hillingdon are all mooted to fall".

[You can find comprehensive results from all of last night's by-elections here.]

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