Part 1 here. The dust has settled from last Thursday, and Liberal Democrats have posted 75 net gains on the day. But a mere number hardly does justice to all the teams behind each result. So here are some shoutouts. In alphabetical order. Well done everyone, brilliant work.
Apologies for any errors – this is coming from local council websites, some of which are easier to use than others. If it isn’t clear which seats are gains are I’ve just given a total, but please shoutout in the comments if you know.
6 wins with 3 net gains.
Oxford +1
5 wins with 1 net gain.
Peterborough +1
3 wins with 1 net gain.
Portsmouth +1
4 wins with 1 net gain.
39 wins with 24 gains, to take control.
Rushmore +1
Another first Lib Dem on the council. Abul Koher Chowdhury in St Mark’s
Sheffield +3
Mohammed Mahroof in Crookes & Crosspool (Sheffield Hallam)
Gail Smith in Mosborough
Mike Leverey in West Ecclesfield
and 6 holds.
30 wins and 20 notional gains on new boundaries to take control.
St Albans +2
9 wins with 2 net gains.
Stevenage +1
2 wins with 1 net gain.
Sunderland +3
None to defend, all gains.
Andrew Wood in Millfield
Lynn Appleby in Sandhill
George Smith in Pallion
Pallion (Sunderland) result:
LDem: 60.1% (+57.0)
Lab: 29.4% (-18.4)
Con: 7.3% (-7.0)
Grn: 3.1% (-1.7)LDem GAIN.
No UKIP (-30.1) as prev.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) May 3, 2018
Tandridge +3
4 wins with 3 net gains.
Three Rivers +1
1 gain, to take control.
2 wins with 1 net gain.
Watford +1
9 wins with 1 net gain to retain control.
6 wins with 3 net gains.
4 wins with 3 net gains.
Winchester +2
Margot Power in Alresford and Itchen Valley
Linda Murphy in St Michael
Winchester is now on a knife edge with 22 Lib Dem and 23 Conservative councillors. With elections by thirds, a repeat of these results would see us take control.
Woking +1
3 wins with 1 gain.
Wokingham +2
4 wins with 2 net gains.
Wyre Forest +1
Alan Totty in Offmore & Comberton
Plaudits to you all and hugs to anyone who didn’t quite make it. Roll on next year!
* Joe Otten was the candidate for Sheffield Heeley in June 2017 and Doncaster North in December 2019 and is a councillor in Sheffield.
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8 Comments
Our gain in Watford was in Callowland ward. Ian Stotesbury took the ward from Labour.
One Labour Councillor defeated in Sandhill ward in Sunderland, Dave Allan, was first elected there in 1983 when I was Chair of the Sunderland Borough Lib Dems. THIRTY FIVE years as a councillor – and pushed out during Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘magnificent’ result 😉 .
Hi Peter. Many congratulations on your own mayoralty win. Best result of the night. 8=} Tony Hutson
Joe, you seem to have overlooked Southwark – 11 wins so far – one of the wards was delayed due to the death of one of the Conservative Candidates so polling day is the 14th June. We hold 2/3 of the current councillors and could definitely get 3/3 which would be 14 i.e.+1 for the campaign. Please come and help – it will be good practice for the Lewisham East by-election that is just down the road…
Tandridge – as well as losing 3 seats to us, the Tories also lost 5 seats to some anti-new-housing Independents. They have retained control by a whisker, down to 22 of the 42 seats.
You shouldn’t overlook Sutton’s impressive result – OK not net gains, but defending control in the current climate is never easy – and it is the longest continuously-LD-run council in the country. The party needs to do more to celebrate those who are successfully implementing liberal policies and improving people’s lives – and having to make real choices and take hard decisions in the process.
Whilst all these results are heartening and uplifting it’s a bit rose tinted glasses. I would like to see the full picture ie where it went the other way. In the North West we lost seats
in South Lakeland, Southport and are down to 5 seats in Burnley where we had an MP and ran the council.
Our one and only and new Cherwell District Councillor is Alaric Rose who took Kidlington East ward from the Tories with a massive 734 majority 🙂