BORIS Johnson has begged voters not to punish the Tories over Brexit in this week’s local elections in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a bloodbath.
Experts predicted that the PM could lose 800 councillors this week as furious voters desert her for failing to leave the EU.
Pollster Rob Hayward said the Tories could lose one in five councillors on May 2 in the worst night for a Tory government since the dying days of John Major’s time in Downing Street.
But today top Tory Boris urged voters not to take out Brexit frustrations on hard-working councillors who were delivering for the people.
He said there was “no point” in voting out Tories who are dealing with noisy neighbours, problems with housing or the bins, because it wasn’t their fault.
Writing in the Telegraph today he said that councillors “can make all the difference, for many families, between misery and contentment.
“That is why it matters so much who we elect on Thursday – and that is why I hope that people will vote for the councils that deliver the best services for the best value; and that means the Conservatives.”
Boris, a top candidate to be the next Tory leader and PM after Theresa May steps down from office, admitted there was a “funding squeeze” but insisted it was his party which was charging Brits less council tax and who was more efficient at dealing with waste and potholes.
And he called on more devolution to local authorities for them to do more as well.
“Stamp duty is now choking parts of the UK property market,” he said.
“Give local government the power to cut it and you will not only help people find the house they need, you will also probably raise more tax into the bargain.”
The Lib Dems could be the biggest winners in this Thursday’s polls – picking up 500 seats.
Tories said huge losses would be “devastating” for the party.
Mrs May’s deal has been rejected three times already.
But No10 officials aren’t set to force anything through on Brexit earlier this week as not to infuriate voters if the gamble doesn’t work out.
Instead Tories will focus on local issues like bins, recycling, potholes and housing – and veer away from talking about the Brexit deadlock.
Today cross-party talks between Labour and the Tories will begin again, but hopes are fading that a deal can ever be reached.
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