Local Elections should be a wake-up call for both major parties - The Yorkshire Post says

There has been a lot of talk about how the Conservative Party can regain ground it has lost as a result of the chaotic leadership of Boris Johnson and the disastrous, albeit thankfully short, tenure of Liz Truss as PM. The idea that it can win a General Election by instigating culture wars is ridiculous when people are going hungry, facing increasing job insecurity and increasing housing costs.

Now is the time for bold policies that uplift people out of poverty, a government that protects the most vulnerable and gets the economy moving in the right direction.

The Government has buried its head in the sand and it was perhaps best summed up by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to escape from a side door during a photocall at a surgery in Southampton so as to avoid answering questions from reporters.

The PM also flew to his engagements via helicopter rather than making a more than manageable trip via rail. Suggesting the PM is very much out of touch with the public.

However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s failure to capitalise on Local Election success at PMQs also exposes fallibilities within the Opposition.

The U-turns are mounting and there are many communities that are yet to be convinced of Labour’s credentials, which could still deny them a majority at the next General Election.

Despite this, Labour is on course to be the largest party at the next election and if it really wants to form a stable government, then it must deliver a truly transformational policy agenda that gives local communities the means to succeed in life.