Conservatives face steep losses in UK local elections

Rishi Sunak’s governing Conservatives on Friday faced crushing losses in UK local elections as voters in many parts of England turned against the party after a tumultuous year.

The Tory prime minister woke up to news that his party was on the ropes, with Labour making inroads in the North and Midlands and the Liberal Democrats advancing in rich areas of the south.

Early results suggested the Conservatives could lose as many as 1,000 council seats compared with their standing before the elections. Such losses would match or exceed some of the most pessimistic projections.

However,…