TORIES are begging voters not to “punish us for Westminster’s mistakes” as they try to avoid a bloodbath in today’s local elections.
Council candidates have wiped all mention of Boris Johnson from their leaflets in parts of the country as they scramble to distance themselves from Partygate.
Hartlepool is the Red Wall seat which elected its first ever Tory MP last year.
But Conservative town hall candidates are posting out leaflets severing all ties with No10.
It states: “This Thursday, please don’t punish local Conservatives for the mistakes made in Westminster, we are local and proud of where we live, and like you, we want the best for Hartlepool.”
In Warwickshire, Tory candidates have released leaflets insisting Thursday’s vote is “not about party politics, but about who will work hardest for the community”.
READ MORE ON LOCAL ELECTIONS
Nationally, Tory HQ has ditched PM from local election ads pushed out by their Facebook page.
The Conservatives are braced for a massive drubbing in the elections amid fury at Covid rule breaking in Downing Street.
Some pollsters predict Conservatives could lose a whopping 550 seats.
Flagship Tory strongholds in London – Westminster, Barnet and Wandsworth – could all fall to Labour.
While the Blue Wall – Tory strongholds in the south – could start to crumble as anger about lockdown breaking in No10 boils over.
