Election special — local poll results roll in
Political Fix
Financial Times
4.2 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 3 May 2024
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Tories suffered sobering losses in local elections across England in the last big electoral test before a general election.
Labour also trounced the Tories in the parliamentary by-election in Blackpool South - with Reform running a close third in that seat. The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Robert Shrimsley and Miranda Green to comb through the results.
Plus, the team is joined by James Kanagasooriam, chief research officer at polling firm Focaldata to dive into the details.
Join Lucy and colleagues for an FT subscriber webinar on May 8 to discuss what the local election results tell us about who will win the UK general election. Get your pass now at ft.com/ukwebinar
Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Robert @robertshrimsley, Miranda @greenmiranda, James @JamesKanag
Want more? Free links:
Rishi Sunak on rack as Tory election losses mount
The big messages from the local elections
Is Rishi Sunak in trouble after the local elections?
Political gravity catches up with the SNP
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Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline with Leah Quinn. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer.
Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Did you know the Capital Ideas Podcast now has a new monthly edition hosted by |
| 0:06.4 | Capital Group CEO Mike Gittlin? Through the words and experiences of investment |
| 0:11.0 | professionals you'll discover who was their best mentor. |
| 0:15.0 | What's a mistake they made that changed their approach? |
| 0:18.0 | And how do they find their next great idea? |
| 0:21.0 | Subscribe wherever you get your podcast, |
| 0:24.6 | published by American Funds Distributors, Inc. As the results roll in, will heads roll at the top of the Conservative Party. |
| 0:39.0 | Welcome to Political Fix, your essential insider guide to Westminster from the Financial Times with me Lucy Fisher. |
| 0:47.0 | Coming up, it was the last big test of public opinion ahead of a general election and it does not look good for the Tories. |
| 0:55.2 | Where does it leave Prime Minister Rishi Sunak? |
| 0:57.8 | To discuss it all I'm joined in the studio by my F.T colleagues Miranda, |
| 1:01.5 | Hi Miranda. |
| 1:02.1 | Hello Lucy. I'm Robert Frims Miranda. Hi Miranda. Hello Lucy. |
| 1:02.8 | And Robert Shrimsley. |
| 1:03.8 | Hi Lucy. |
| 1:04.8 | Also on board to help us suggest the results so far is James Canagossaurium, |
| 1:08.8 | chief research officer of the Public Opinion Research Company, |
| 1:11.6 | vocal data. Hi James. Hi, Lucy. of the public opinion research company, Focal Data. |
| 1:12.8 | Hi James. |
| 1:13.4 | Hi, Lacey. |
| 1:14.4 | So before we kick off, I should point out |
| 1:20.4 | we're meeting at Friday lunchtime when only some of the results have been |
... |
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