The @libdems have GAINED Watford council. A brilliant result and testament to @MayorDorothy and the team.
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) May 6, 2016
The final result from Watford today – 25 LD, 11 Lab, 0 Con. Lib Dems gain 7, Conservatives wiped out. #WinningHere
— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) May 6, 2016
* Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary in print, on air or online.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
“I’ve worked with Andy Burnham. There is much to look forward to” (NewsHound)
Mathew on Monday: Ann Widdecombe, robust debate and the need to disagree agreeably (Mathew Hulbert)
Tom Arms’ World Review (Tom Arms)
Observations of an Expat: Visions of America (Tom Arms)
Championing stronger AI resilience: Take-away from ALDE Congress 2026 (Larry Ngan)
Val Doonican: Elusive Butterfly
The Joy of Six 1548
Reform adopt the Trump agenda on elections
What would have happened if St Pancras station had been closed?
Ben Maguire welcomes dissolution of multi-academy trust over discipline concerns
Rhodri Morgan statue unveiled in Cardiff
The Wealth Tax is a Progressive Fallacy
The Conservatives are embarking on another purge
Why don't people use trains more?
Are Plaid Cymru serious about government?
Paul Walter 
Peter Martin Paul Walter 
David Raw 
Roland 
9 Comments
As a former resident of Watford, congratulations to Watford activists for their comeback after last year’s setback. Combined with Eastleigh where I work, a couple of good results that I take a more than passing interest in.
‘Tories wiped out’ – music to my ears.
What an amazing result.
Brilliant news!! Congratulations to everyone involved
And although one result doesn’t change everything from yesterday’s results, Lib Dems are now the clear winners in the Council elections, and the Tories the clear losers. At the end of the night it looked like Labour were the clear losers and UKIP the clear winners! A much healthier situation now, and goes some way to redress the appalling situation in the Welsh Assembly.
Great results
And i think its worth pointing out looking at the overall score board of council seats in England the Lib Dems are the ONLY party to have made a net gain of the Councils controlled having gained Control of Watford.
It is a fantastic result in Watford but the comments about Lib Dems being clear winners of the local elections are absurd and harmful.
I don’t think my comment was either absurd or harmful, Caracatus. By saying this I am not making overblown claims that we have suddenly recovered – what I am saying is that our gains are greater than any other party purely in the context of English council elections and particularly that they are greater than UKIP. I am also saying that the Tories’ losses are greater than Labour’s. I suppose I must also admit that I am sending a rebuke to the media, esp the BBC for the frame within which they are reporting the results. That is surely something to celebrate as a first step on the road back. It is not even a comment on share of the vote overall, or on the number of candidates we were able to raise, which I am sure is small in historic terms. I would have thought you might have supported such an approach.
Across England, both Labour & Tories made small losses, The Greens are level pegging & Libdems & UKIP made gains. We made the most gains so in that sense we “won”. As of now we made net gains of 39 councillors & recovered a big chunk of the vote share we lost in The Coalition years. That is definite recovery. Its only a start but its a good start.
Fantastic news from Watford. And if any party was the winner in the English Local Council elections it is the Lib Dems with the only council gain and the largest number of seats gained. You’re totally in the right Tim13. There were some close misses too. Success breeds success and this will boost morale in many local parties. In my borough, even without a full slate of candidates, Lib Dem representation is up 50%. It’s the right direction of travel.