Now the Tory right plots life after a Sunak election defeat

From Medway to Maidenhead, Conservatives are agitating for the return of Boris Johnson, says Sean O’Grady

Liberal Democrats celebrating huge local election gains in Windsor on Friday (Getty)

By common consent, the Conservatives lost the local elections by a significant margin. The projected national vote share of 26 per cent was close to a record low for the party in such a contest. They came in 9 per cent behind Labour, whose own performance wasn’t outstanding. The Tories also fell prey to factors including the resurgent Liberal Democrats, some disillusioned voters staying at home, an attack from the Greens, and tactical voting. It was rather worse than most Conservatives feared, and some on the right have been considering the future in opposition. Inevitably, a few have even been agitating for the return of Boris Johnson.

What’s next for the Tory right?

Predictably, some intensive sessions of plotting and fantasy politics are planned alongside dinner, drinks and, in one case, benediction.