The Voice

Election results status: “Conservatives ☹️…Labour ☹️ Lib Dems 😁” – open thread

By | Fri 3rd May 2019 - 6:18 am

**6:33 summary: The Lib Dems have gained control of eight councils (two from NOC) and held two. We’ve won 177 extra council seats – making a total of 384 including seats held. The Tories have lost 11 councils and 254 seats. Labour have lost 2 councils and 45 seats. We’ve gained control of:

FROM THE TORIES:

CHELMSFORD
SOMERSET WEST AND TAUNTON
HINCKLEY AND BOSWORTH
BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET
COTSWOLD
WINCHESTER

FROM NOC:

NORTH NORFOLK
NORTH DEVON

We’ve also held South Lakeland and Eastleigh.

Layla Moran has summarised this as “the best @LibDems local election results since 2003 – right in the aftermath of the Iraq war”. Ed Davey has described this news as “the best results in a generation”.**

7:07 ++The Lib Dems have won control of the Vale of the White Horse district council from the Tories after winning 20 out of 38 seats with several results still to come.

6:53 The Guardian Live results tracker has us on 259 gained seats and 253 held. They have the Tories with 377 lost seats and Labour with 63 lost seats.

6:44 The Press Association report:

The Conservatives have failed to take control of Torbay, after winning 15 seats of the 35 declared with just one result to come.

6:42: Our Bath and North East Somerset victory includes a win in ward where Jacob Rees-Mogg lives! Here’s a great quote from defeated former Conservative council leader Tim Warren, who lost to Lib Dem David Wood:

The guy who took my seat did a great campaign and when you are running a council you have to work full-time, and I didn’t have the time to match him.

The above title quote is from the BBC’s Nick Eardley.

Well done everyone for all your hard work! It’s great to see some really good news this morning. Look at this snapshot!:

The Guardian online front page is a treat:

Voters punished the two main parties over Brexit as the Tories and Labour both suffered early losses in the English local council elections.

The Conservatives had been expecting a tough night amid frustration at Theresa May’s failure to take Britain out of the EU as planned. But Labour also struggled, losing seats amid confusion among voters over the party’s stance on Brexit.

In contrast the Liberal Democrats were on course for a strong performance, with predictions it could make as many as 500 gains, while the Greens and Ukip were also picking up seats.

Just recently, Guardian Live has commented:

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Liberal Democrats are the big winners from tonight. There’s talk that they are being seen as the natural party of opposition as voters turn away from the Tories and Labour, in both leave and remain areas.

Press Association summary as of 6:18:

Conservatives

Councils held: 29 (down 11)

Seats won: 896 (down 254)

Labour

Councils held: 37 (down 2)

Seats won: 806 (down 45)

Lib Dems

Councils held: 8 (up 6)

Seats won: 384 (up 177)

Greens

Seats won: 40 (up 33)

Ukip

Seats won: 12 (down 4)

Just looking at some highlights:

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10 Comments

  • Yeovil Yokel 3rd May '19 - 6:39am

    Cue Scorpio saying that last night’s results confirm the extinction of the LDs.

  • Michael 1 3rd May '19 - 6:46am

    A repeat of a post I made in the previous thread:

    Sky News: “The Lib Dems are the voters’ new favourites.”

    Laura Kuenssberg, BBC Political Editor on Lib Dems gaining the Cotswolds: “We can’t overstate it. That is quite something. That should be absolutely solid Tory territory.”

    Sky News, political correspondent, Lewis Goddall: “The political landscape is not a happy one for either Labour or the Conservatives… The Conservatives are particularly losing ground to the Liberal Democrats in Southern England… Some really bad results [too] for Labour – they have lost Bolsover for the first time ever. The Lib Dems have won the Cotswolds for the first time. The Lib Dems are the undoubted winners of tonight… The story of night is real Lib Dem success… It’s the Lib Dem night – their best since 2004… The Lib Dems are the voters’ new favourites.”

    Dr Michael Thrasher, political analyst, Sky News: “The two main parties are both losing ground. The principal beneficiary are the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats are advancing. The Conservatives are haemorrhaging votes and seats to the Liberal Democrats.”

  • Yeovil Yokel 3rd May '19 - 7:13am

    re. earlier post: that should have “Silvio of course”, not Scorpio.

    Well done, everybody, now for the Euros…..

  • Michael 1 3rd May '19 - 7:24am

    Lewis Goddall on Sky News: “This does pose a bit of a problem for parties like Change UK. They have been set up because they say the Lib Dems aren’t doing very well. If this is anything to go by, the Lib Dems really have some life left in them.”

    Some predictions:

    Tories will make over 800 losses in the locals. (It could be a very tough day to come for them in the Tory districts). The Lib Dems will make at least 500 gains. While this may be a bad night for the Tories and expectation management shouldn’t hide how bad it is – until the beginning of April they were on course to make NO gains, it is also horrendous for Labour.

    Lib Dems will beat the Tories in the Euro Elections – getting at least 14% (MAY be nearer 20%) and 9 MEPs in the Euro elections.

  • theakes 3rd May '19 - 8:33am

    Wow, well done to all who organised. Do not often say that,but well done..
    Sky News very good for us, as usual the BBC is shallow.

  • Leekliberal 3rd May '19 - 8:47am

    Can Threakes grab a defeat from the jaws of victory?

  • theakes 3rd May '19 - 12:20pm

    I am saying BBC news has not done us justice, Sky has been brilliant. What is wrong with that?

  • Lorenzo Cherin 3rd May '19 - 12:57pm

    Superb to see the party doing this, very good coverage from Sky, they are more fair to our party usually, the anchor, Sophy Ridge was in good form, as was Goodall!

  • Leekliberal 3rd May '19 - 7:35pm

    Sorry Theakes, I posted my comments before yours had appeared on this thread.

  • nvelope2003 3rd May '19 - 9:06pm

    BBC TV were pretty bad to start with and gave a lot of attention to the Greens but seemed to modify their stance in the afternoon. BBC Radio 4 seemed more balanced as usual.

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