Campaigners tonight issued a desperate plea for anti-Tory parties to work together to oust the Conservatives from a string of “tragedy councils”.
Think tank Compass coined the term about local authorities controlled by the Tories where the party won fewer than half of votes but still won a majority of seats.
It revealed its latest report to the Mirror as the countdown to local elections on May 4 hots up.
The study shows 75% of the Conservative majority-run councils on the ballot next month were won with a minority share of the popular vote the last time they were contested.
Of the 230 town halls up for election, 85 are Conservative majority-run - but the Tories won 64 of the councils with less than 50% of the vote.
In those 64 councils, the Conservatives won an average of 62% of the seats with the support of just 44% of the electorate - which Compass branded “a shocking democratic deficit”.
Calling for rival parties to work together to kick out Conservative councillors, the campaign group said: “Compass labels these councils ‘tragedy councils’ because greater collaboration between progressive parties in these areas could have prevented the Tories from seizing control in a large number of them.
“Labour and other progressive parties will hope to use the local elections this May to take councillors from the Tories and show they are building momentum towards the general election, likely to be held next year.
“But a strong Labour lead in the polls is no guarantee of success; as Compass’ research shows, an unpopular Conservative Party doesn’t always lead to progressive wins.”
It backed tactical voting, where parties encourage electors to back the progressive candidate most likely to beat their rival Tory to win, and also urged parties not to strip each of votes vital to ejecting Conservatives.
“Progressive parties standing aside in favour of the best-placed candidate to beat the Tories - or just campaigning more appropriately - has been shown to work in many councils across the country,” said Compass.
The group’s director Neal Lawson told the Mirror: “Our voting system punishes Labour and other progressive parties, creating 'tragedy councils,' which the Conservatives run on a minority share of the vote.
“Compared to the Right, Labour, Lib Dem and Green candidates agree on so much - that’s why it's madness that they compete with one another and let the real enemy win.
“At these next elections progressive candidates should stand where they are best placed to win and activists should go to their nearest marginal ward - that way we get the Tories out of councils now and send a signal that cooperation will win the general election too.”
While Labour leader Keir Starmer and Lib Dem boss Sir Ed Davey have always resisted calls for - and claims of - pacts to target areas where one party is more likely to win than the other, grassroots activists increasingly take independent decisions based on local knowledge at which party is better-placed to challenge the Tories.
Some insiders in both parties hope such “soft pedalling” in local elections could provide the basis for similar tactics in a general election aimed at ending what would be at least 14 years of Tory rule.
The Conservatives have a majority on these 10 councils with less than 40% of the popular vote
Medway, Kent - 34% of votes
Canterbury, Kent - 35%
South Hams, Devon - 35%
Dover, Kent - 36%
Central Bedfordshire - 37%
West Berkshire - 37%
West Devon - 38%
East Suffolk - 38%
East Staffordshire - 39%
Ashford, Kent - 39%
- Source: Compass
* Follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook
