Tory MPs flee North for new 'safe' seats

IT WAS described as 'Rishi's Darkest Hour' on one front page. A few minutes after Nigel Farage announced he was returning to frontline politics to inflict more pain on the Tories this week, the latest polling painted an exceptionally bleak picture for the prime minister.

- ROB PARSONS

YouGov analysis suggested the Conservatives could be reduced to just 140 seats in July 4's general election, a result which could see them wiped off the map in areas such as the North East, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.

If the polls came true Labour would win the biggest election victory in the party's history and the Conservatives' Northern presence would be limited to North and East Yorkshire, two seats in Cheshire and their Lancashire stronghold of Fylde.