Rishi Sunak’s government puts councils on red alert for a snap election within months
RISHI SUNAK’S government has put councils on red alert for an election – amid growing rumours he could call a snap vote next May.
Local authority chiefs are ramping up their planning after being told to “be election ready” by next spring, insiders said.
With the campaign expected to be the most brutal in years, Tory HQ has been splurging big money drawing up local ‘mini election’ strategies for different areas.
They are carrying out secret, in depth constituency by constituency polling across the 100 most marginal seats.
MPs will be told which policy areas poll well and should be blitzed locally.
Red Wallers expected to go heavy on tough immigration lines and rural seats expected to pivot to softer issues like transport links.
The aim is to replicate the success of the Uxbridge by-election, which the Torie unexpectedly won after turning it into a byelection on the hated Ulez anti car charge.
The plan has been devised by Tory polling supremo Isaac Levido.
But it is shrouded in secrecy with MPs told to keep quiet about details.
One Tory source said: “The idea is to replicate the success of Uxbridge – to go all guns blazing on issues that matter locally.”
A Westminster source said: “My money is on a May election.
“Council CEOs have been told to be ready by then, and Tory HQ is cranking up. It sounds like game on to me.”
Rishi effectively fired the starting gun on an election campaign earlier this week by junking unpopular Net Zero policies.
Promising to make more “tough” calls, he is expected to scrap the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the wildly over-budget HS2 rail link to save many billions.
No10 plans to use a lot of the cash saved to bankroll other local train projects – like Northern Powerhouse Rail, The Sun on Sunday understands.
One government insider said: “It is a huge amount of money saved. You would be able to afford more than one project.”
The decision has sparked a huge dust-up in the Tory Party, with Boris Johnson and David Cameron both said to be fuming at the decision to junk the project.
Bojo branded it “Treasury driven nonsense”.
But many Tory MPs hailed the move – and even Red Wallers said they will back if their areas are guaranteed cash for other train routes.
One said: “In my area, no one cares about HS2. It’s local rail projects that will win votes.”