The Conservative Party, the ruling party in the UK, suffered a major defeat in recent local elections. The Labour Party, the opposition party, is calling for an early general election, and criticism of the leadership is growing within the Conservative Party, causing political turmoil.

In the elections held on the 2nd, covering 107 local councils, the Conservative Party lost a devastating 474 seats compared to their previous numbers. According to BBC reports, the Conservatives won 515 seats, while Labour increased their seats by 186 to a total of 1,158.

The Conservative Party, which has been in power since 2010, has suffered this kind of defeat due to a buildup of public dissatisfaction resulting from Brexit chaos, failures in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, and extreme tax cuts. A poll conducted by YouGov from April 30th to May 1st showed that 44% of respondents said they would vote for Labour, while only 18% said they would vote for the Conservatives. This suggests that there is a high possibility of a change in government.

The atmosphere within the Conservative Party is one of difficulty accepting the results of these local elections. Former Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote in a media article that the government should launch a counterattack with a strong immigration policy and large-scale tax cuts. This is interpreted as raising questions about Prime Minister Sunak's leadership.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Starmer responded to the local election results by stating that "voters are demanding change under a Labour government" and urged Prime Minister Sunak to hold a general election as soon as possible. With the general election scheduled to take place by next January, Labour is raising its hopes of regaining power based on the results of these local elections.

Within the Conservative Party, some are pointing out that it is necessary to review not only the leadership but also policy issues. There are criticisms that the Conservatives have failed to provide proper solutions to issues like rising house prices and living costs, and the NHS crisis.

Some in the political sphere believe that the Conservatives are losing even the coalition of supporters that was their foundation in the 2019 general election. The fact that Labour is recovering support in the north is seen as evidence of this.

As such, the UK political scene is facing significant turmoil in the wake of the local election defeat. The ruling party is burdened with the task of simultaneously addressing early election pressure and internal division, while the opposition party is looking to use this opportunity as a stepping stone to a change in government. The future direction of UK politics is worth watching closely.