Labour is set to launch a “cost of chaos” website that criticises the amount of government spending under Rishi Sunak.

Launched today – a month before the local elections on 2 May – it aims to count the cost of decisions made by the prime minister, including scrapping the northern leg of the HS2 rail project.

The party suggests the cumulative costs of “VIP helicopter rides”, by-elections, fixed-rate mortgages coming to an end and other economic decisions mean the Tories have “wasted” £8.2bn.

It also suggests that 314 days could be lost due to government reshuffles, parliament finishing its sitting days early and Mr Sunak waiting until January – the last possible moment – to call a general election.

“These shocking costs are the result of a party out of ideas, more interested in looking inwards than facing, and delivering for, the country,” Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden said.

Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden criticised the campaign and said Labour should focus on plans for how it would govern instead.

“This is a desperate attempt to distract from the scandal engulfing Angela Rayner and Sir Keir Starmer‘s top team,” he said.

“Instead of wasting time with dodgy websites, the Labour Party should set out their plans. But the truth is they can’t because they have no plan for this country, and that means they would take us right back to square one with higher taxes, more borrowing and higher unemployment.”

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Meanwhile, 20 Labour councillors from Lancashire have resigned in protest – claiming Sir Keir Starmer’s party “wants to control anything that a councillor wants to say” and that selection processes are unfair.

The mass resignation will see all 10 Labour members of Pendle Borough Council, including its leader, sit as independents.

They are joined by Labour councillors on Nelson Town Council and Brierfield Town Council.

Following the resignations, a Labour spokesperson said the party’s focus is on winning the general election.

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