Tories CAN win next election, insists West Midlands mayor Andy Street

When pressed about whether they will secure an historic fifth term in office, he is more reticent, but Mr Street says it would be premature to write off his party with a year to go to the polls.

In an interview at the Express & Star head office in central Wolverhampton, Mr Street acknowledges last week's by-election defeats in Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire were a huge setback for the party – but says it would be foolish to think the next election was a done deal.

"Everyone says this is like 1997, when everyone believed Labour had won before a vote had even been cast," he says.

"But the Labour Party has not sealed the deal. The by-election results last week were very bad for us, but the turn-out was so low. There was no enthusiasm for the Labour Party."

Mr Street, who revealed that he considered quitting the party earlier this month following the Prime Minister's decision to drop the HS2 link to Manchester, believes Labour's lead in the polls is largely down to dissatisfaction with the present difficulties. But he says people still do not know what a future Labour government would stand for.

"They have not detailed their policy positions at all," he says.