About what he believes the result represents. Today, the people in our area have not only spoken, theyve hollered at the top of their voices with two simple and clear messages. To the government, enough is enough. And locally, labour is delivering in power. Up and down this country, ordinary people are fed up with the chaos, mismanagement and decline the tories have presided over. Despite this, though, were getting on with the job locally. This result isntjust a rejection of the tories. Voters in our city region arent easily kidded. Its a Ringing Endorsement of what were doing locally too. Steve rotherham, there are. Lets speak to henry hill. Hes the Acting Editor of Conservative Home. These results obviously disappointing for the conservative party, but they were forecast to be difficult . ~ ,. , ~ party, but they were forecast to be difficult . ~ , ~. Difficult . Absolutely. I think what the show when difficult . Absolutely. I think what the show when you difficult . Absolutely. I think what the show when you cut difficult . Absolutely. I think what the show when you cut through. Difficult . Absolutely. I think what i the show when you cut through the noise from individual results is that the National Polling is broadly accurate. The conservatives are currently on course for a heavy defeat at the General Election. They have lost hundreds of counsellors, and that isntjust indicative of where many of those areas will probably go at the General Election, but it also means that those hundreds of activists, many of whom the conservatives might not find are willing to waste cold november evenings knocking on doors and delivering leaflets as they were when they were councillors. A bad result for what it shows about polls and for its impact on the conservative partys Bread Machine ahead of the election. That conservative partys Bread Machine ahead of the election. Ahead of the election. That is very interesting ahead of the election. That is very interesting i ahead of the election. That is very interesting. I know ahead of the election. That is very interesting. I know some ahead of the election. That is very interesting. I know some people | ahead of the election. That is very l interesting. I know some people are having to starting to look ahead to the conservative party conference. Do you think the conference. Do you think the Conference Season will go ahead . We dont Conference Season will go ahead . , dont know for certain. Current indications are that it will. The day that has been banded around for the election at some point in mid november, which would allow it to go ahead. It is a last chance for the parties to have a few days with the parties to have a few days with the spotlight on them, it will be a platform for rishi sunak to make its final pitch to the nation. It would allow him, crucially, to reach two years as Prime Minister, which i think is important to him, and it is a final injection of funds, especially for the conservative party, because businesses and donors pay quite a lot of money to do events at Party Conferences, and you make more money in government than in opposition. To make more money in government than in oppositionu in opposition. To think the party will turn up . In opposition. To think the party will turn up . Will in opposition. To think the party will turn up . Will people, in opposition. To think the party| will turn up . Will people, because even last autumn, there was a noticeable difference in labour Party Interest in Business Versus the conservatives . Could it not be quite damaging to go into a Conference Season where labour are getting a lot more attention on the conservatives . Is that not a potential point that actually makes sooner look weaker . I potential point that actually makes sooner look weaker . Sooner look weaker . I dont really think that will sooner look weaker . I dont really think that will make sooner look weaker . I dont really think that will make much sooner look weaker . I dont really think that will make much of sooner look weaker . I dont really think that will make much of a think that will make much of a difference, given where we are in the polls. The public vote on a few things, most of which is the cost of living, Public Services, the nhs and the police. I dont if there are many people outside of the Westminster Circle who will be drawing chicken entrails. It will be a sign of the times, but it will still be probably considerably more interest in the conservatives will get next year if they do lose the General Election as heavily as the polls currently suggest. It is not ideal by any means, it certainly wont be as good as their Party Conferences a few years ago when it looked like they might be in power for a decade, but you have to think that if the conservatives to go below 200 seats at the General Election, which is partly possible that these polling numbers, it may be the best conference they have for quite some time. In be the best conference they have for quite some time. Quite some time. In terms of, we keep asking quite some time. In terms of, we keep asking about quite some time. In terms of, we keep asking about the quite some time. In terms of, we i keep asking about the parliamentary mood, the word so far has been that there isnt to move again soon act thatis there isnt to move again soon act that is likely, do you think he is secure and safe manner . I that is likely, do you think he is secure and safe manner . I think so. Mostly because secure and safe manner . I think so. Mostly because we secure and safe manner . I think so. Mostly because we did secure and safe manner . I think so. Mostly because we did our secure and safe manner . I think so. Mostly because we did our polling, l mostly because we did our polling, Conservative Home did our polling, they found that it is simply too close to the election. Most of the people who want to take over as conservative leader understandably want to do so after the General Election, after the Prime Minister has owned that defeat, and if you think about the process of having a tory leadership contest, they would have to be a challenge, lectures going on, and youd have to find the candidates if there were more than one of the party couldnt unify around a candidate, there will be multiple rounds of voting, and a final run off where the vote goes to conservative Party Members in the country, which would involve hustings and take weeks. If you have six months to a General Election, either public going to be impressed if we spend weeks or perhaps months over that time left visibly focused on an internal battle when persuadable voters are presumably out there who will want to see the government focused on the nations priorities. Ben houchen has won in the north east, how big a loss would it be if andy street loses . It would be an extremely disappointing result, because andy street has been an extremely effective mayor of the West Midlands, they would be deeply unfortunate if he was. It seems the race is really down to a knife edge. The conservatives have hardly asked for a recount, which suggests he is behind. If you were to lose office as a result from the broader conservative partys office as a result from the broader conservative pa rty� s state office as a result from the broader conservative partys state in the polls, it will be a blow to rishi sunak. I dont think it will change anything regarding the mp5. There simply isnt the organisation or the candidate there for a challenge against rishi sunak, but i think andy street was with his best hope for a real bright spot. The victory of ben houchen in tees valley, which while impressive, was what actually was largely priced in. If andy street does go, it willjust mean that no one will be able to deny it is an unremittingly terrible result of the conservative party. Mas is an unremittingly terrible result of the conservative party. Was there any glimmer of the conservative party. Was there any glimmer of of the conservative party. Was there any glimmer of hope of the conservative party. Was there any glimmer of hope for of the conservative party. Was there any glimmer of hope for the of the conservative party. Was there any glimmer of hope for the tories l any glimmer of hope for the tories in london, or was thatjust some briefing that happened . And could the tories have put up a better candidate and in better . Result in london is probably candidate and in better . Result in london is probably the candidate and in better . Result in london is probably the big candidate and in better . Result in london is probably The Big Picture J London is probably the big picture going to be one of the most disappointing results of the weekend for the conservative party, because sadiq khan is a beatable mailer. Im not saying this is a particularly partisan figure, he is grossly under polling labour� s National Polling, which is unusual. We would normally expect to see the devolved figure out calling their party, as andy street has in the West Midlands, and is deeply unfortunate that conservatives have managed to lose the election by the margin that looks as if they will. There is hope at some point that the conservatives might be able to do it through the doughnut strategy, outer london boroughs, but it doesnt look like that has happened. There are Big Questions to answer. Susan hall wasnt even the conservative partys first choice candidate. That was daniel kawczynski, whose candidacy imploded, and susan hall was the candidate after that. There were lots people who could have given city can run for as money after that. Paul scully was keen for the job, and he would have been an ideal choice in many ways, because as minister for choice in many ways, because as Ministerfor London he choice in many ways, because as minister for london he could choice in many ways, because as Ministerfor London he could have gone around making interventions, using the power of being in government and making the case for why he should be mayor of london. Unfortunately, they didnt go down that route. It was like once again they will have failed to oust a beatable mayor in the big city in the uk, and that means that they will have serious questions to answer at gchq. I will have serious questions to answer at gchq. Will have serious questions to answer at gchq. I spoke to paul scull in answer at gchq. I spoke to paul scully in the answer at gchq. I spoke to paul scully in the last answer at gchq. I spoke to paul scully in the last hour. Answer at gchq. I spoke to paul scully in the last hour. In answer at gchq. I spoke to paul scully in the last hour. In terms| answer at gchq. I spoke to paul. Scully in the last hour. In terms of where the conservatives will go from here, i dont know what youre hearing at the moment, obviously rishi sunak is a choice, doesnt he, about whether he tries to be in the Centre Ground of the party, whether he moves to the right to shore up certain parts of the conservative vote they are, whether he deploys David Cameron to the home counties. There is a choice, isnt there . Do try to limit the damage if there . Do try to limit the damage if the tories are heading towards a General Election defeat . The tories are heading towards a General Election defeat . There are choices. It matters General Election defeat . There are choices. It matters a General Election defeat . There are choices. It matters a lot General Election defeat . There are choices. It matters a lot where General Election defeat . There are choices. It matters a lot where the j choices. It matters a lot where the conservatives deploy their resources, especially at a General Election, because it might be that there are beats which have historically been safe which are no marginals, worse is the party is realistic about where it stands and focuses its money and its campaigning efforts there and manages to hold on, but if instead throws money away on seats which are drawn regardless, then it will lose even more. In terms of policy, i think at this point most of the choices facing rishi sunak, they excite journalists, choices facing rishi sunak, they excitejournalists, but choices facing rishi sunak, they excite journalists, but they are mostly presentational, because theres precious little time left to do anything much in way policy. The Rwanda Scheme may get some flights, but that die is cast. The last thing he could do is have another fiscal event like the budget, in which he tries to come up with some really carefully targeted interventions that would swing voters that would make them think twice about switching to labour, but again the fiscal headroom, such cities, was even less than it was. Jeremy hunt and the Shadow Chancellor are fighting over an incredibly narrow strip of tax and territory when you think about how far apart their parties are in the polls. At this point, the Prime Ministers problem is that his party has been in power for m years, and at that point, it is impossible to get away from your record, because we try and argue that this or that part of the status quo is unacceptable, voters quite rightly ask, well, youre a lot of beenin rightly ask, well, youre a lot of been in powerfor ages, why havent you done anything about it . May be things you can do at the marginals, but at this point you have m years of inner shell behind you. All of those accumulated decisions, it is not really his ship to steer much at this point. Not really his ship to steer much at this oint. ,. Not really his ship to steer much at this oint. ,. , not really his ship to steer much at this oint. ,. ,. Not really his ship to steer much at this oint. ,. ,. , this point. Just finally, what is the mood this point. Just finally, what is the mood of this point. Just finally, what is the mood of the this point. Just finally, what is| the mood of the conservatives this point. Just finally, what is the mood of the conservatives youre in touch with . Do people kick themselves up and carry on pick themselves up and carry on pick themselves up and carry on pick themselves up and carry on, so many mps say they are reading off a Support Stand again already . Obviously the mood in the conservative party as you can imagine is not amazing. It does depend a little bit on person to person, because there are some results in parts of the country where the conservatives managed to hold on, which suggest we have a really good local operation and local issues that voters may be able to buck the national trend. There are quite a few mps who are focused lone campaigners who are hopeful that they may be able to draw on a personal vote. Absolutely the expectation at this point is that the party is going to lose office at the party is going to lose office at the General Election. It looks increasingly like it will be a heavy defeat, and i think that the pottering out of the rumours of a Potential Push against rishi sunak suggest that most mps at this point have resigned themselves to that. It is very difficult to see what can possibly come up in the next six months that would destroy a 15 point labour polling weight. It is not impossible, but it is almost impossible, but it is almost impossible to imagine what it could be, so more of them are going to resign, and those who do want to take overfrom rishi sunak are preparing for a profound debate that will have to take place if the party goes into opposition about what happened and who is going to read it for the next five years until a General Election in 2029. Thank you for Oinint General Election in 2029. Thank you forjoining us General Election in 2029. Thank you forjoining us today. Lets have a look at some of the numbers, nick eardley has been looking at it for us. The big one is london, and we are waiting for the West Midlands. Nick. That london, and we are waiting for the West Midlands. Nick. West midlands. Nick. That West Midlands result West Midlands. Nick. That West Midlands result sounds West Midlands. Nick. That West Midlands result sounds like West Midlands. Nick. That West Midlands result sounds like it i West Midlands. Nick. That West Midlands result sounds like it isj West Midlands. Nick. That west i midlands result sounds like it is on a knife edge. We dont actu