"It'll be the best thing in the world to have him back.

Clarke first contacted Mr Rushworth, who had been elected in the 2024 general election, on Facebook in the aftermath of the riots, prosecutor Susan Hurst said.

Starting on 1 August, Clarke sent direct messages to the MP calling him abusive terms and blaming Mr Rushworth and the government for the violence, the court heard.Clarke, of Durham Street in Bishop Auckland, escalated to threats, telling Mr Rushworth: "I can't wait until your next public appearance, you'll be lucky to leave in one piece."The MP reported the threat to Durham Police but asked officers to visit Clarke and give him a warning rather than prosecute him, the court heard.

But the abusive comments about Mr Rushworth did not stop and on 17 September, Clarke told a social worker he would "smash [the MP's] head off the pavement until he dies," adding he would firebomb Mr Rushworth's office or home and block the doors so he could stand outside and hear his victim's screams, the court heard.Asked if he actually meant to carry out the threats, Clarke said he was "going to do it and it's just a matter of time", the court heard.

The social worker reported the comments to police and Clarke was arrested, telling officers he had received no support for his mental health issues and it was the "political landscape where he lives which was causing him concern", Ms Hurst said.

Clarke told police he had no political allegiances but had a "personal grievance" against Mr Rushworth, before adding he had not intended to cause any harm and his comments were because he was "desperate for help".By 1400 BST, the Conservatives had lost control of three of the 18 councils they controlled before this election, with Reform beating them in Staffordshire and Lincolnshire, as well as taking control of Durham.

, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch "These were always going to be a very difficult set of elections coming off the high of 2021, and our historic defeat last year - and so it's proving."The renewal of our party has only just begun and I'm determined to win back the trust of the public and the seats we've lost, in the years to come."

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick - who was beaten to the Tory leadership last year by Badenoch - said she was doing a "bloody good job" and it would "be impossible to turn around this situation in such a short period of time".Liberal Democrats are hoping to take seats off the Tories in places like Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire.