Election leaflets distance ‘Local Conservatives’ from Boris Johnson

Tory candidates ask voters not to punish them for mistakes' in Westminster in wake of Partygate

Hundreds of Tories are distancing themselves from Boris Johnson by standing as Local Conservatives" in Thursday's council elections, with rebel MPs saying they will gauge support over the weekend for a move against the prime minister.

Election leaflets seen by the Guardian show local candidates across England playing down their Tory affiliations, eschewing pictures of Johnson and styling themselves as Local Conservative" on voting ballot papers.