Theresa May is facing a London meltdown in local elections – with the Tories on track to lose Westminster, Wandsworth and Barnet.
A shock poll shows the Conservatives could be stripped of key strongholds in the capital on May 3, with Labour ahead by 54 per cent to 28 per cent.
A result as bad as the figures imply would be a devastating blow and reignite speculation about the Prime Minister’s future.
The YouGov research for Queen Mary University found there had been a swing of 13.4 per cent in inner London, where Labour has traditionally been strongest, since the council seats were last contested in 2014.
A shock poll shows the Conservatives could be stripped of key strongholds in the capital on May 3, with Labour ahead by 54 per cent to 28 per cent
But even in outer London the swing is 4.2 per cent.
Wandsworth, reputed as Margaret Thatcher’s favourite council during the 1980s, would fall if the swing is even across inner London.
Westminster, which has never been Labour controlled, is also considered to be at serious risk.
The Conservatives are also facing losing Barnet, where they currently have a majority of just one council seat.
The poll bears out the fears of senior ministers, who are braced for a bloodbath in London – although they hope some of the losses could be offset in other areas such as Birmingham.
Across England, local elections are being held in all 32 London boroughs, 34 metropolitan boroughs, 74 district/borough councils and 17 unitary authorities.
The seats up for election were last contested in the 2014 local elections – just a year before the Tories won a surprise Commons majority.
Mrs May’s Tories are defending 1,302 seats and control of 41 councils, while Mr Corbyn’s Labour won 2,062 sears and 78 councils last time.
There are also mayoral races in Hackney, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets and Watford.
Jeremy Corbyn, pictured at PMQs today, is looking to pick up a swathe of council seats in London at the local elections
If the results are as bad as the poll suggests Theresa May (pictured at PMQs today) could face fresh pressure to stand aside as Tory leader