The leader of the Conservative Party in Hillingdon, which triumphantly increased its majority on the borough council last night, says he knew Labour was in trouble when Jeremy Corbyn paid a visit.
Speaking after his party increased its majority from 20 to 23, a buoyant Ray Puddifoot said he was always confident of winning but even more so after the Labour leader attended a rally in Hillingdon last weekend.
He said: "It shows all the effort that John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington MP) and Jeremy Corbyn put in came to nothing.
"In Hillingdon, people do appreciate our policy of sound financial management and good business practice over the Co-op of Chaos Labour were putting forward.
"The Labour manifesto contained no specific policies relevant to the people of Hillingdon and was produced at central level.
"Our residents do appreciate a party that puts them first. Labour put forward that the issues were Brexit and austerity, but they were refuse collection, schools, roads and council tax."
Mr Puddifoot also held on to his personal seat in Ickenham with an overwhelming majority. He said it was an "honour and a privilege" to have been re-elected.
The Tories started the night with 42 seats and Labour on 22 but after the ballots were counted at Brunel University the Conservatives had 44 and Labour 21.
The Tories gained two seats in the Charville ward and one in Uxbridge South and Labour gained one in West Drayton.
Labour leader Peter Curling said he was "disappointed" with the result but said it would be "very difficult" to say what had gone wrong until more detailed analysis has been done.
He said the fact that the majority of people in Hillingdon voted to leave Europe may have played a part in their ongoing support for the Tories.
He said one positive from the night was that a number of new young Labour councillors had been elected who could help the party revitalise for the future.
Nicola Brightman, who took one of the two Labour gains in the Charville ward, said the party would now kick on and look to take the remaining Labour strongholds in the south of the borough - the complete opposite of what Labour had hoped would happen in this election.
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She said: "As councillors here we are all local people and have been for a long time. We will now have a much bigger voice to get all the annoying little things that need doing, done in the ward."
David Yarrow, who retained his seat in Uxbridge North ward, said the Conservative councillors in the safe seats in the north of the borough had played a major part in helping make the gains in Charville and Uxbridge South.
