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The results in the local elections were worse than Conservatives had feared, with the party not only losing councils to Reform but also the Liberal Democrats.

The BBC is estimating that, if elections had taken place across the UK on Thursday, the Conservatives would have slumped to just 15% of the national vote, its worst-ever share of such a projection, behind the Liberal Democrats on 17%.

This type of Tory tilt, designed to stop their traditional supporters switching to Reform, has already cost the party the defection of MSP Jamie Greene to the Liberal Democrats - a significant coup for their leader Alex Cole-Hamilton.

In contrast, Reform's advance was more muted in wards that the Liberal Democrats and the Greens were defending.

However, its performance was enough to put Reform well ahead of the Conservatives – who traditionally dominate county councils - on 23%, the Liberal Democrats on 17% and Labour on 14% when you tally up the votes in those parts of England that went to the polls on Thursday.