THE leader of Wyre Forest District Council has said it’s a “difficult night" for the Conservatives.

Councillor Marcus Hart, who became leader of the council after the Conservatives bucked the national trend in the local elections last year, has given his reaction to the exit poll which predicts a Labour landslide.

He said: The exit poll nationally didn’t particularly surprise me.

"Clearly, it’s a very difficult night for the conservatives and Labour are heading like they did in 1997.

“I think it’s really clear that the Reform vote is eating into our heartland constituencies”.

Locally he added: “It looks very close here”.

Labour is forecast to win a landslide 170-seat majority, with the Tories reduced to their lowest number of MPs on record.

It means Rishi Sunak’s term as Prime Minister looks set to end in electoral disaster, with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK establishing a foothold in Parliament and the Liberal Democrats forecast to make gains.