LEEDS — Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell warned in Leeds ahead of the local elections that the party could lose more than 75% of the council seats it is defending, and cautioned that such a setback could open a path for Nigel Farage to enter Downing Street.

Powell said the party was contesting the elections in a difficult environment, with the possibility of losing power in Wales and failing to defeat the Scottish National Party in Scotland also in play. She also said she believed the party could outperform polling predictions, arguing that voters were more concerned with whether Labour could deliver change than with the Mandelson scandal.

"There's no magic bullet here for us. We are in a difficult world." Powell said.

She framed the elections as carrying broader consequences for the next general election. "If we get that wrong, then Nigel Farage is walking into Downing Street." she said.

Powell pointed to the party's organization on the ground as a reason for confidence. "I think we have the best ground campaign by a mile in this country. There's a lot at stake." she said.

She said the electorate remained unsettled in parts of the country where the Green Party is competitive, and that activists were engaged in direct conversations with those voters. "There's a lot of voters still quite unsure, especially in more Green-facing areas. I think it's very soft. All our amazing members and activists – they're very motivated to have those conversations." she said.