Rishi Sunak’s ruling Conservative Party lost a bellwether parliamentary seat and was on track to shed hundreds of local councilors, a set of devastating election results that nonetheless fell short of a worst-case scenario that might have prompted a Tory bid to remove him.

Rishi Sunak’s supporters have for weeks been stressing the significance of the mayoral elections in the Tees Valley and the West Midlands, where the declaration is coming tomorrow but Labour have effectively already conceded defeat.

Rishi Sunak is under mounting pressure to sharpen his agenda after crushing local election losses on Thursday, but even critical Tory MPs said the immediate threat of a leadership challenge to the UK prime minister had receded.

Friday morning spelled gloom for the Tories, leaving many to ponder whether Rishi Sunak’s leadership might be nearing its end. With Labour making huge gains, Sunak finds himself clutching onto any positive results,