Tories suffer two landslide poll defeats

The Conservatives have crashed to landslide defeats in the latest council by-elections.

Labour's Diane Todd gained at Heath Hayes East and Wimblebury in Staffordshire.

The swing to her party was more than 11 per cent over May's council polls, which took place on the same day as the general election, when Tories had scored a spectacular win in the local parliamentary constituency on a 14 per cent switch.

In another blow for the Conservatives, Liberal Democrat Rosemarie Hollinghurst won a sweeping victory at Aldbury and Wigginton in Hertfordshire.

Labour, meanwhile, easily defended a seat in Sheffield, despite a big Lib Dem squeeze on the Tory vote. Ukip boosted its vote share to come third ahead of the Tories. It also came second at Burnham Church, South Buckinghamshire.

Analysis of six comparable results in August suggests a projected 2 per cent Tory nationwide lead over Labour.