Tory poll lead slashed as key elections loom across Britain

Stories of Conservative sleaze appear to be having an impact as Keir Starmer faces his first electoral test as Labour leader on 6 May

Labour has slashed the Tories' poll lead in half as more voters conclude that Boris Johnson is corrupt and dishonest ahead of this week's bumper set of local and devolved elections.

The latest Opinium poll for the Observer shows the Conservative lead has fallen from 11 points to five points after a week in which the prime minister was at the centre of allegations over the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, and criticised for reportedly saying he would rather see bodies pile high" than order another Covid-19 lockdown.