It was clear even before all the votes had been counted on Friday. The party loses more than 1,000 seats in various local assemblies around the country.
Thursday’s election has been widely seen as a test for Sunak and his six months in power.
The 43-year-old prime minister admitted earlier in the day that the results pointed to a “disappointment”.
The opposition Labor party rejoiced all the more. Of the roughly 8,000 local seats that have been contested, Labor appears to have won 500 new seats and a majority in at least 21 new constituencies.
Labor leader Keir Starmer excitedly declared “the results are clear” as he addressed jubilant supporters in Medway, southeast England, where Labor won a majority over the then-ruling Conservative Party.
— Have no doubts. We are heading for a Labor majority at the next general election. We have won the trust, the trust of the voters, and now we can continue to change our country.