Labour set to lose 50 seats in May elections

Labour is set for a torrid time in next month’s local elections and could lose around 50 seats, according to two of the country’s leading election experts.

Jeremy Corbyn’s party will slip back while the Tories and Liberal Democrats are on track to make gain, academics have said.

The Lib Dems, who under Tim Farron are campaigning to reverse Brexit, are set to make gains of 100 seats, according Colin Rallings and Michael Trasher.

UKIP, who have faced chaos under new leader Paul Nuttall, are set to be the biggest losers, with predictions suggesting they could haemorrhage as many as 100 seats, after their peak performance the last time these seats were up for grabs in 2013.

The Tories are forecast to gain around 50 seats in an unusually good result for a governing party.

There will be 2,370 seats up for grabs in May’s elections, in 27 county councils, six unitary authorities and one metropolitan borough.