Mixed night for Tories
Crispin Blunt’s shock resignation from the Tory party front bench has drawn attention away from anticipated heavy losses for the government in regional and local elections.
More than 38 million eligible voters yesterday, in the first election since the Iraq war, decided the composition of over 10,000 or so members on 308 English local councils, as well as local politicians in the Scottish and Welsh regional assemblies.
Regional and local elections are an important barometer regarding voter attitudes to the government’s performance.
Midway through a term of office, voter ‘blues’ generally entail losses for the government at local, and, more recently in the regions, following the introduction of assemblies in Wales and Scotland.
Labour took half of the 60 seats at the Welsh Assembly election, winning seats from Plaid Cymru and giving it a majority.
But in Scotland, Tory David McLetchie defeated Labour minister Iain Gray to become the first Tory constituency MSP at a Scottish parliamentary election.
Labour’s Brian Fitzpatrick was unseated from Strathkelvin and Bearsden by an independent health service campaigner.
The Lib Dems had a good night, gaining more than 120 seats at local level. They dethroned Conservatives in Torbay and Windsor and Maidenhead, and replaced Labour in Chesterfield and Durham.
Charles Kennedy said his party’s showing at the polls was ‘excellent”|’ and ‘and a huge psychological boost.’
The British National Party (BNP) won five more seats on Burnley Borough Council, giving it eight seats in total. The BNP is now the second largest party in Burnley.
The BNP also gained a seat on Stoke council.
Labour lost more than 600 seats but gained power in Sheffield and Plymouth.
The heavy defeat means Tory local councils are in the ascendancy in England for the first time since 1989. The Tories gained more than 500 seats.
It is thought the Conservatives achieved 34% of the local council election vote. Labour and the Lib Dems had 30% each, with others on 5%.
