King Charles to rescue Rishi Sunak with Coronation spectacular

Fergie explains plans for King’s Coronation

King Charles is set to save the Prime Minister’s blushes next month with his Coronation eclipsing a predicted Tory wipeout in town hall elections. Rishi Sunak is bracing himself for the loss of more than 1,000 council seats in a “nightmare” backlash from voters. But the disastrous results will get little airtime on TV – coming just 24 hours before the royal spectacular at Westminster Abbey.

Instead, the Prime Minister can also expect a bounce as the celebrations give Britain an estimated £1billion economic boost.

He could also reap dividends from the feel-good factor that will sweep the nation during the three-day Coronation weekend. Sir Keir Starmer will be robbed of a golden opportunity to steal centre stage and show he is on a winning streak.

The Labour leader has told his troops they must be quick to land blows on the Tories the minute the results drop.

One insider said: “The timing couldn’t be worse for us. For the lucky Tories, it’s the perfect day to bury bad news.”

Relieved allies of Mr Sunak say the Coronation will also shield him from any leadership challenge from disillusioned MPs.

At any other time, a hammering at the polls on that scale would lead to days of negative coverage and growing discontent among backbenchers.

But with most local authorities counting votes on May 5, the results will be overshadowed by the build-up to the spectacular crowning of King Charles which takes place the next day.

Beamed around the world, it will hog the headlines and be followed by street parties and celebrations galore.

The finishing touches to the event will be taking place as the votes are counted, with people at home preparing for their own Coronation festivities.

Royal experts say Charles has won the heart of the nation since the death of his mother last year, and the spectacular at Westminster Abbey is expected to be a triumph.

It will kick off three days of celebrations, including a bank holiday on May 8.

And it is expected to bring in much-needed cash for Treasury coffers, with spending on souvenirs, pub trips and street parties expected to more than offset the costs of the event.

Experts have predicted a £1billion economic boost, as well as providing a perfect shop window to “sell Britain to the world”.

Dani Hewson, a financial analyst from AJ Bell, predicted tourists will arrive in droves.

She said: “People will come from far and wide to be part of history.”

And Ms Hewson added this would pump “money into the economy at a time the economy most needs it”.

Interest in the Coronation is expected to be sky-high following the King’s early triumphs in his new role as monarch They included charming EU chief Ursula von der Leyen during talks to agree a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.

He also stunned hosts during a visit to Berlin when he addressed a state banquet – and the Bundestag – in German.

His Majesty has also been praised for breaking with tradition by sending Coronation invitations to 850 “ordinary” people who have made extraordinary contributions to their communities.

All of this is providing a welcome distraction to the PM – and will help enormously once election results start to roll in.

One Westminster insider noted: “The Coronation is the only thing people will be talking about when the votes are being counted.

“It could have been a really tricky moment for Rishi but he’s going to sail through it thanks to the fortunate timing.”

Government sources say Mr Sunak will put quickly local polls behind him – with attention turning immediately to the general election, expected sometime next year.

A Conservative insider said: “We are expecting losses well into a thousand. It won’t be a good night for us. It will be a pretty grim picture across the board.”

But they said the “mood has changed” in the party after months of turmoil.

“It’s going to be bad but once this is out of the way we will kick off moving towards the general election.

“Everybody is ready to kick into action after the locals.”

Tory MPs previously warned that a massive defeat could lead to letters of no confidence being submitted to the 1922 Committee, potentially triggering a challenge against Mr Sunak’s leadership. But this threat appears to have evaporated.

A Whitehall source said: “I think we are past that nonsense now. The local elections are going to be a bit of a nightmare but Rishi has bought stability and leadership back, and the party would be crazy to move against him.”

More than 8,000 council seats across 230 authorities are up for grabs on May 4 and Tories have the most to lose, defending 3,365 seats, with Labour defending 2,131.

The last time most were contested was in 2019 when Labour was at a low point under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and they lost overall control of six councils.

But it means Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to make gains this time.

The Tories believe voters will eventually give them credit for measures to help tackle the cost-of-living crisis – but admit the public have yet to be convinced. Writing in the Sunday Express, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride highlights the 10.1 percent increase in the state pension coming into effect this month, bringing the payment above £10,000-a-year for the first time.

He said: “While we stand firmly behind pensioners, we know times are tough for everyone. That’s why we are helping with cost of living support worth £94billion – that’s around £3,300 per household.”

But Tories are warning the current chaos in the SNP following Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation as First Minister and husband Peter Murrell’s arrest is a mixed blessing.

They believe it could help both the Conservatives and Labour make gains at the next general election. A Tory MP said: “We could pick up two seats but Labour could gain five to ten.

“There will always be 35 percent or so in Scotland who will back the SNP. Where we gain is in seats which are split three ways, between us, Labour and the SNP.

“When the SNP vote is soft and there is a switch to Labour, that allows us to win.”

Recent polls have shown Labour remains far ahead of the Tories when voters are asked who they plan to back the next time the country goes to the polls to elect MPs.

But Mr Sunak and Sir Keir are neck and neck on who will make the best PM.

Polling by Ipsos found 37 percent think the Tory leader would make the most capable PM with 36 percent opting for his Labour rival.

Issues Rishi must focus on to keep hold of power

Tory MPs have warned Rishi Sunak he must do more to convince voters that the Government is getting tough on crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Tory leader was told his five high-profile pledges launched in January focused too much on the economy.

One MP said: “Probably the main thing local people comment about is anti-social behaviour. It feels like the police don’t want to respond to so-called low-level crime.

“But the reality is that criminals, not just anti-social behaviour perpetrators, probably feel like there is little consequence to their actions.”

A Conservative helping to organise the party’s campaign in red wall areas of the Midlands said it was a mistake to include three references to the economy in Mr Sunak’s five pledges.

There were promises to halve inflation, grow the economy and cut government debt, as well as to cut NHS waiting lists and stop small boat crossings. The party insider said: “Voters don’t actually care about government debt, and when you promise to cut it you sound like you want to cut spending or raise taxes, which aren’t popular.”

Mr Sunak is expected to declare that those pledges have been achieved in the run-up to the general election, expected late next year. But Tory MPs warn that voters see low-level crime as more of a problem, with 1,065,844 incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded by police in England and Wales between October 2021 and September 2022.

One in 10 people saw people using or dealing drugs, the British Crime Survey shows. There were 50,434 crimes involving a knife and sharp instrument over 12 months and 6,369 offences involving firearms.

Conservative MPs also want to see the leadership tell voters more about its plans to provide more housing and deal with “wokeism”, including attacks on British history and institutions.

Party battling a Labour push and tactical voting

The North East will be key to Labour hopes of making much-anticipated gains in May’s local elections.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party are hoping to regain overall control of what were traditionally “Red Wall” authorities like Middlesbrough and Hartlepool.

But the North West could also prove a battleground as voters go to the polls on May 4. Both Labour and the Conservatives could take overall control of South Ribble in Lancashire.

But Tories face been squeezed by Labour in the north and Liberal Democrats in the south, with Sir Ed Davey hoping to make gains in
“Blue Wall” home counties such as Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

A Lib Dem source said: “We did do very well last time these seats were up for election but given how much trouble the Conservatives are in, we’re expecting to make some quite significant gains this time around.”

Conservative officials admit they are worried about the growth of tactical voting, with left-wing voters backing the Lib Dems in the south in a bid to defeat Tory candidates.

A source said: “We are aware of tactical voting pacts. There is going to be a bit more of that this time and it could have a massive impact on our vote if it happens.”

In the South West, Conservatives are hoping to hold on to Plymouth City Council, which they currently run as a minority administration.

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