The Conservative administration’s running of BCP Council came back to bite the party in last week’s election results, according to a Tory MP.

After a poor day at the polls across the conurbation, the Conservative Group went from the largest party by 21 seats, to second biggest trailing the Liberal Democrats by 16.

The Tories lost seats in Bournemouth and Poole as well as the single councillor it held in Christchurch from the 2019 vote.

BCP Conservative Group leader Philip Broadhead said the local authority election had focused on “national issues”.

However, Conservative MPs Sir Christopher Chope and Conor Burns both gave a different assessment.

Christchurch MP Sir Christopher told the Daily Echo: “Locally there were a lot of factors at play.

“In essence, the Conservatives over a period of time made themselves so unpopular that the people wanted to vote for anybody that wasn’t a Conservative.

Bournemouth Echo: Sir Christopher ChopeSir Christopher Chope

“People were ganging up against the Conservatives on the council because of the way they have been running the show – that is my view.”

The backbench MP said it had “not gone very well” for his party in council elections across the country.

“Steady as she goes and no change, it will all come right on the day are not the right ways to interpret this,” Sir Christopher said. “We need to have some radical new thinking and make it clear to the people what we stand for as a party.”

He remained positive that there was time for the Conservatives to turn things around in next year’s general election, highlighting that the low turnout to vote suggested people abstained and did so because “they are not happy with anybody”.

He added: “There is enormous potential but there is a heck of a lot of work to do.”

Giving his take on the BCP Council results, Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns told the Daily Echo: “There is no point in sugar coating this.

"These were extremely bad results for the Conservative Party across our area.

Bournemouth Echo: Bournemouth West MP Conor BurnsBournemouth West MP Conor Burns (Image: NQ)

“The results were significantly worse locally than they were for the Conservative Party nationally.

“I reiterate what I said before the election results that the council, whoever is now going to run it, needs to focus on frontline service delivery. I think that was a key part of the message that the public were sending very clearly as it turned out on Thursday.”