The secretary of operations told Sky News’s Ridge show on Sunday that Mr Johnson’s leadership was not threatened “at all”, adding that he was “the right person to lead us to the next election”. Many voters in England, Wales and Scotland will go to the polls on 5 May to elect their local representatives. With a huge number of seats vying, the results are likely to paint a vivid picture of the national mood for the first time since the 2019 early general election. If the Conservatives do poorly in this election, Mr Johnson’s’s prime minister could be under even greater pressure after the partygate scandal – with a potential leadership challenge closer to being fired. “It was a tractor I saw”: Tories MP says he saw porn by mistake – latest policy “I do not think his leadership is threatened at all, what he has offered is really a remarkable series of successes,” Kwarteng said. “I believe that Brexit, it did, the fact that it was widely appreciated in Ukraine, it was widely welcomed as someone who led the overseas effort to help Ukraine, and also to look at the release of the vaccine, that was a great piece of success.” Prime Minister “the right man” to lead the Conservatives Asked if Mr Johnson was safe no matter what happened at the polls, he replied “absolutely”. Asked about the proposals that former Health Minister Jeremy Hunt is preparing for a leadership bid, Kwarteng said: “Jeremy is a very capable colleague, he is a good friend, I do not know what he is doing, but as far as Boris is concerned, “Johnson is by far the right person to lead us to the next election.” The comments came as Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer denied that Labor had a secret electoral deal with the Liberal Democrats to try to ensure that the Conservative candidates would not be selected in the upcoming polls. Conservative leader Oliver Dowden had claimed that Sir Carey was withdrawing candidates “in areas of the country” where Liberal Democrat support is strong to prevent a split in the Tories vote. Read more: How do local elections work and why are they important? Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:20 How to replace a pm Tory He had also claimed that the Liberal Democrats had agreed to reciprocate the favor where Labor was dominant elsewhere. Asked about Mr Downen’s allegations about the alleged pact, the Labor leader told Sky News’s Ridge show on Sunday: “I would not take anything Oliver Dowden says very seriously. “The fact that he spends his Sunday … attacking the Labor Party … why does he not say something about the cost of living crisis in the name of paradise? “There is no pact, everyone knows there is no pact. We will nominate a candidate when by-elections are held, apparently after Neil Parish resigned yesterday.” Image: Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also denied that an agreement had been reached between his party and Labor. Labor and the Liberal Democrats reject the electoral pact He later claimed that Labor was more likely than not to run in the local elections. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, meanwhile, has also categorically denied allegations of a deal between his party and Labor. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:35 “There is no pact” in the elections “Listen, there is no agreement now, there will be no agreement in the future,” he told Sky News on Ridge on Sunday. “No, the Liberal Democrats are really fighting the Labor Party in many areas, in polls in Sunderland, Sheffield, Harringey, Suffolk. “And I can tell you many other places where there is a real fight.” He added that he believed reports of a deal were being used “as a distraction”. Polls in 200 local authorities across the UK open on Thursday, an opportunity for voters to express their disapproval or support. Sir Keir will also be under pressure, as failure to invade will raise questions about his ability to bring Labor back to power. Mr Johnson will hope that voters will prioritize his perceived successes, such as vaccine marketing and Brexit, over lockdown breaches and tax increases in the midst of a cost-of-life crisis. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:34 Can the PM survive the leadership crisis? The leaders of the main parties are under pressure in the run-up to the elections In a statement issued before the polls, the prime minister said: “Elections next Thursday are important. People vote for councilors and councilors who decide how often bins are picked up, how many potholes are repaired and how much municipal tax is paid. “And I have to tell you that conservative labor councils and councils across the country that offer better local services manage taxpayers’ money wisely. “The choice on May 5 is clear. Labor and Liberal Democrats are abolishing the municipal tax to decide which statues to demolish or the Conservatives, offering value for money and adhering to your local priorities.” Sir Keir, meanwhile, told Sky News that his party’s focus was on “making a profit” in the upcoming election – and accused the government of “having no plan” to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. “We want to make a profit, we want to keep the good seats we have, we want to make a profit,” said the Labor leader. He added: “We have the wind in our sails, we are a team with confidence”. The results of the local elections are expected in the early hours of the morning and throughout the day on Friday, while some councils may be announced on Saturday.
