Labour is on course to defeat the Tories in a key mayoral contest that could throw Rishi Sunak's leadership into new chaos, a bombshell new poll shows.
Andy Street - the Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands - is trailing his Labour candidate in the area with less than three weeks to go until the election. The survey by Redfield & Wilton Strategies shows Labour's candidate Richard Parker on 42% compared to Mr Street on just 28% with Reform in third place with 13%.
The Tories are braced for a bruising night at the local elections on May 2 with experts warning the party could lose up to 500 council seats - half of the ones they are defending. Last month analysts said Labour could also win around 300 council seats as the party continues to lead the Conservatives in the national polls by double-digits.
Polls have also suggested the London Mayor Sadiq Khan securing a historic third term at City Hall and defeating Tory rival Susan Hall.
But losing the mayoral contest in the West Midlands - and potentially a second contest in the Tees Valley area - could reignite a leadership crisis for Mr Sunak. A catastrophic night for the PM could encourage Tory rebels to stage a last-minute bid to oust Mr Sunak from No10 ahead of the general election later this year.
Responding to the bleak survey for the Tories in the West Midlands, the ex-Tory MP and Boris Johnson loyalist Nadine Dorries said: "It doesn't matter what you say or do, you can't beat the swing. Thank you Rishi Sunak for all you have done to the Conservative Party."
The poll also shows the Tories far behind Keir Starmer's Labour in Westminster voting intention for the West Midlands - by 24% to 52%. It comes as voter registration for the local, mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections on May 2 closes at midnight tonight.
Around 44 million people are estimated to be eligible to vote in the elections, but as many as seven million people are either incorrectly registered or missing from the register entirely, according to the Electoral Commission, which oversees all elections in the UK. Nearly 2,700 council seats in England are up for grabs across 107 local authorities, while 37 police and crime commissioners in England and Wales will also be chosen.
Craig Westwood, director of communications at the Electoral Commission, said: "Today is the last day to register to vote ahead of the elections on May 2. Only people who are registered can have their say on issues important to their local area, so don't delay.
"Registering to vote is quick and easy - all you need is your name, date of birth, address, and National Insurance number. Those previously on the register who have recently moved home or whose details have changed will need to register to vote again."