LIB Dem leader Ed Davey has said Dorset is a place where his party can “take a lot of councillors off the Conservatives”. 

On May 2, Dorset Council area residents will go to the polls in the local elections, with the entire county also voting on the police and crime commissioner. 

And Sir Ed said time is “running out for Rishi Sunak”, accusing the prime minister of having “bottled” a May general election. 

The politician told a crowd of party activists in Hertfordshire, that voters were “fed up with the Government” and felt “taken for granted by Labour locally”. 

Last year’s BCP election saw a surge in support for the Liberal Democrats but the group was still 11 seats short of an overall majority. 

Sir Ed said: “There aren’t as many councillors up in those areas as in previous years, but in places like Dorset, in places like Wokingham, places like Tunbridge Wells and a number of other places, we’re very confident that we can take a lot of councillors off the Conservatives. 

“People are really fed up with the Conservatives. Many of them want a general election but they’ve got here a chance on May 2 in the local elections to send the Government a message and I think in many areas they’ll vote Liberal Democrat to do that.”