English local election results will be pouring in throughout the day. Lib Dem Voice will try and keep you abreast of what’s happening across the country, as we did throughout Thursday night with our open thread – many thanks in particular to those commenting who were able to break the good news that the Lib Dems had taken majority control of Bristol City Council amid disastrous results for Labour. Please do keep the news coming in from wherever you live.
As at 9.50 am, the BBC results scoreboard is telling me that the Lib Dems are the only party showing net gains in both numbers of councillors and councils controlled (+1 in each category).
Let’s see what the rest of the day brings, especially in the south-west (Devon and Cornwall, which Lib Dems are defending) and in Somerset, where Lib Dems currently have minority control of the hung council.
UPDATES FROM THE VOICE TEAM:
Conservatives have taken control of Nottinghamshire.
Labour have come fourth behind the Monster Raving Loony Party in a ward in Huntingdonshire.
Lib Dem candidates have defeated the Conservative leader in Cumbria and the Labour leader in Nottinghamshire.
Lib Dems take Colchester Maypole from Labour.
Lib Dems take Wellesbourne, Studley and both seats in Stratford South from the Tories in Warwickshire. All in the Stratford on Avon district.
Hampshire: across our three Parliamentary seats of Eastleigh, Romsey and Winchester, we held all our marginal wards against the Conservatives, with many big increases in majorities.
Essex: three gains from the Tories now.
South West: Somerset and Devon look to be lost to the Conservatives. Awaiting further news from Cornwall.
Lancashire County Council: five gains have been declared in Burnley, though two losses elsewhere in county. Looks like Conservatives will take control.
One gain from the Tories in Watford.
BNP gain seat on Lancashire County Council.
Sky projects from local election results to a Tory landslide general election result, with number of Liberal Democrat seats creeping up.
Ashfield: election results in Geoff Hoon’s backyard looking very bad for Labour.
Somerset: Conservatives take control of the county council from the Liberal Democrats.
Guardian piece on fantastic victory in Bristol. Congratulations to everyone in the accompanying picture for managing to look mostly normal despite having mouths open and arms in air.
Labour lose control of Staffordshire. May end the day without having got control of any council up for election today.
Not only Labour facing wipe out in Burnley, also struggling to hold last seat in Westmorland.
News also starting to come in from up north with gains for Lib Dems in Burnley and Labour struggling to win any seat. May yet cling on to one seat.
Hampshire results looking good. Expect to hold all seats against Tories in Winchester. But Somerset isn’t good.
Nick Clegg’s reaction to the results so far: watch it via The Telegraph.
Hunt the Labour vote: seems to be a competition going amongst counting agents in some places to play “spot the ballot box with the worst Labour vote”. One in Hampshire is winning at the moment with only one Labour ballot paper.
Lib Dem vs Tories in southern England: looks to be a mixed picture. No big Tory tide sweeping all before it, but there will be some good individual results for them. However, Lib Dems also gaining from Tories in other places – such as East Surrey, Woking, Norfolk and Eastbourne, where we’re +1 against the Tories in each.
Hartlepool: independent Mayor Stuart Drummond (he of monkey mascot fame) has been re-elected, again.
Lincolnshire: very good results for the Conservatives with gain of 15 seats so far. Their vote also up, but only by half the Labour fall as other candidates put on the votes. Pointer for other results and Euros perhaps?
Polling day is over but the ads continue: lots of Conservative Google Ads urging people to vote Conservative in the European elections are still appearing on sites. Someone forgot to pull the plug or Google being slow to update?
Eric Pickles’ home patch: Lib Dems gain two seats from the Conservatives. Overall on Essex County Council it’s some Lib Dem gains, more Tory gains and lots of Labour losses.
Weirdest knocking up tale so far: Conservatives tried knocking up the Liberal Democrat committee room in the Vauxhall (London) by-election.
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130 Comments
Weird knocking up story (c.2004)
We had a notice in our committee room window saying “Please come to the back door”
The Labour knocking-up team did exactly that – we invited them in – plied them with tea and cake.
They gained sustenance from us.
We gained the seat from them.
Happy days!!!
Weird telling story – Bayswater ward, Westminster. We go to collect an elderly teller, a long standing party member, to take them to polling station, they say ‘but I just got back’. Confused but without cover for next hour we take her to the polling station in question where our departing teller explains that the lady had indeed been telling earlier, though for the Tories !
” I thought the rosette was a different colur to usual ” she explains.
Lib Dems win 2 of 4 Essex County seats in Brentwood – good to see after some setbacks there in recent years. Tories take all 4 in Harlow, 3 gains from Labour.
http://countyelections.essexcc.gov.uk/MapOfDivisions.asp?DistrictID=2
Looking good also in traditional Tory/Lib Dem swing seats in local elections such as Woking and Eastbourne. Very solid in Lewes.
http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/yourcouncil/localelections/electionmap2005/results.aspx
LD Gain from Tories in Woodley Town by-election!
Caroline Spelman claiming Somerset has gone blue!
Sorry wrong link
http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/yourcouncil/localelections/electionmap/default.aspx
Yes was just about to post that about CS! Somerset have definitely lost one of our wards to the Cons but the announcement seems premature.
Tories have gained one so far from us in Somerset, in Taunton constituency. Our vote seems solid in Yeovil
http://www.somerset.gov.uk/council/election/divisions.asp
Hmm. Not good news that we’ve lost a seat in Taunton constituency – I’d hate to see Jeremy Browne lose his seat at the general election.
The loss in Taunton is one of the (5) rural wards. Most of the (7) town wards have not reported yet. We are also one down now in Yeovil, but with 7 holds there it is looking solid.
Good Map here
http://www.somerset.gov.uk/council/election/default.asp
Interesting from trad blue Surrey – one hold, one loss and three gains so far – all to/from the Tories.
in 11 County Divisions of North Norfolk we have won 7 vs 4 for the Tories. The vote split was:
Liberal Democrat 7 seats 16094 votes (44.08%)
Conservative 4 seats 14044 votes 38.46%)
Somerset is now 13 Conservative, 9 LibDem. LibDem vote appears to be down in most places. 35 seats to come
One gain, 2 losses in Dorset so far.
http://maps.dorsetforyou.com/election/
Hampshire – LD net down 2 so far:
Down 2 and up 1 to/from Tory in East Hampshire
Up 1 from Lab in Basingstoke
Down 1 to Tory in Gosport
Down 1 to Tory in Test Valley (Andover)
Solid holds for LD in Eastleigh wards.
Not looking good in Devon. Tories winning in Teignbridge – perhaps Ricky Younger Ross might be regretting his furniture costs?
Lib Dems win 6 out of 7 in Eastleigh, no seats changing hands but other story here is UKIP beating Labour in all 7 wards averaging c14% – suggests a very good vote for them in Euros. Labour averaging only c 6.5%.
Losses to the Tories in Hampshire – 2 in East Hants, 1 in Gosport, 1 in Test Valley but 1 gain from Lab in Basingstoke and 1 from Tory in East Hants. So net 2 down.
Bet the poorer performance in the South West is down to the European effect. What will the Euro-boosters say if we lose both Devon and Cornwall because of this?
@Robert C, we’ll say that sometimes we take losses from standing up for our principles. The alternative is worse.
Tories need just three to win majority in Somerset. Devon looks comfortably blue.
Sign of things to come in the westcountry?
Very sad about Devon. 7 holds and 4 losses so far, all to Con. They’ve gained another 3 off independents too. I see Labour have held an Exeter suburb against the Tories by 12 votes!
Are there any preliminary signs of what the national EU Parliament vote might look like?
@James Jones: we won’t know, as no exit polls are done because they cannot be published until voting ends in the rest of Europe on Sunday. Local election turnout will give some idea of Euro turnout I expect.
Guardian reporting that BNP have won first seat in Lancs (from Labour).
Breaking news from Cambridgeshire: first results show Lib Dems losing two seats to the Conservatives, one Con hold (in rural East Cambridgeshire): http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/democracy/elections/elections2009/candidatesandresults/
The map is a bit confusing (divisions that haven’t reported are coloured according to their 2005 results!), text version is here: http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/democracy/elections/elections2009/candidatesandresults/elections.htm
The seats breakdown in Taunton is LD 6 Con 5 Lab 1. Strangely the Lib Dems did not contest the Labour held ward (Wellington). In the neighbouring ward Lab did not contest and we held by 9 votes…. On these results its only really David Heath in S & F under threat though even there its not a Troy wipeout
Four Lib Dem gains in Burnley
🙂
5 !
http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/lccelections/results/2009/gains.asp
No change in Rochdale
1 up in Leics, gain from Labour in N W Leics
Interesting on Today this morning they reported Netherlands exit polls.
I wonder whether in Netherlands they’ve had news of British exit polls…?
Devon’s a rout 🙁
http://www.indevon.org.uk/DCCElections2009/overview.php
Devon’s gone blue overall.
Tories on course to take Lancs: so far
Tory 9 – up 6
LD 5 – up 3
BNP 1 – up 1
Lab 2 – down 11
Real ale’s on Tony Greaves tonight! 🙂
Lancs CC, 5 gains in Burrrrrnley, all from Lab, though tempered by the sixth (Burnley W and Padiham) falling to the BNP.
Whatever the case, chances look good that we could boot out the useless Kitty Ussher at the GE.
Peter Dunphy wrote:
“Strangely the Lib Dems did not contest the Labour held ward (Wellington).”
My little knowledge of Wellington tells me that it is an old railway town full of elderly voters who have been Labour loyalists all their lives. The Co-op has a big depot just outside the town. One of the managers there once told me that “we employ some really rough people”, if that has any bearing.
Jeremy Browne is losing the Exmoor divisions that are so heavily Tory (and did for Jackie Ballard).
@Richard. The alternative is presenting things with a different slant but the same substance and actually getting hold of power.
The Lib Dems always lose votes due to their stance on Europe and appear to have done the same this time round. We failed to prioritise the changes we would like in the form of sound-bites: “Sweep out corruption”, “Freeze the EU budget”, “Abolish the Strasbourg Circus” would all have been good ones, but no, we headed the campaign with anodyne statements about what a wonderful thing the EU is. We were out of tune with what the electorate wanted. The lack of a referendum promise (however flimsy Cameron’s is) on Lisbon will also have cost us votes. This makes us seem anti-democratic, which for a party called the “Liberal Democrats” is not something we can afford. Nor is it consistent with “standing up for our principles”.
Herts CC; Watford looking very good indeed;
http://www.hertsdirect.org/actweb/election/dist86.htm
Collapse in the Labour vote, Tories treading water.
Lib Dems have held 4 out of 7 in Winchester Borough, 2 Tory, 1 to declare.
Results in Hants looking good for Westminster wins in Eastleigh and Winchester but tough in Romsey and Meon Valley.
Sesenco – thanks, i’ve never been to Wellington !
My breakdown in wards excludes the Exmoor part, split between 2 wards.
Totnes Rural lost to the Greens?! Its a complete disaster in Devon. The South West could be very bad for us at the next GE.
Watching the results for Nottinghamshire County Council via twitter.com/TomAtTheChad – his election service on behalf of the Mansfield Chad is better than the sub-regional Nottingham Evening Post – and better than the County Council’s own website!
First Lib Dem gain – in Eastwood in Ashfield.
Meanwhile I’m hearing the BNP have a second county councillor, this time in North West Leicestershire.
We’ve taken a seat off the Tories in Eastbourne borough, though the voteshare has gone down in the other wards.
Tories doing well in Kent, gained 4 from Lab so far. No seats but big vote increases for minor party candidates – take a look at the English Democrats in Dartford.
http://www.kent.gov.uk/Kcc.eGov.Elections.Public.Site/CountyPage.aspx
Labour wiped out in NW Leics – all 5 of their county seat have gone. BNP have gained Coalville and Lib Dems gained Warren Hills.
BNP polling 16% across the county so far with half the results in. Lib Dems just ahead in 3rd place
A close look at local elections in recent years shows there’s a strong anti-incumbency factor. The media like to give the impression that most people treat local elections as just a referendum on national politics, but that is them just showing their usual ignorance and laziness. It is less like that than it used to be – people are voting to quite a large extent on local factors.
Unfortunately, this often means that whoever is struggling trying to run the place gets kicked out, the opposition who jeered at them and said they were rubbish gets in, then come the next local elections and the new administration has hit just the same problems as the previous one, and the cycle takes one more turn.
I suspect that’s the story behind our loss of Devon and Somerset.
LD hold 1 gain 1 so far in Carlisle
Labour getting a proper kicking in Essex. And we’ve taken two seats off the Tories there, WTF? Our gains in the south so far as I’ve seen are from the Tories, not Labour.
Lambeth – Princes by election – Labour hold on with an 8% swing to Lib Dems. An astonishing 42% turnout – hasn’t been that high in years.
Labour 1726 41%
Lib Dem 1396 33%
Cons 707 17%
Green 320 8%
Eng Dem 93 2%
The town of Coalville Leics had 3 Labour County Councillors (Coalville, Warren Hills, Whitwick) they didn’t even get 2nd place in any of these wards.
Bit narked about the SW, especially the Newton Abbot seats as that is my former home turf. Held NA south but lost Kingsteignton…..! 🙁
You can always tell when the Limp Dims are doing crap – they always trot out the same old line –
“we’re holding our own”.
We’ll see. From what I’ve been hearing, their actual share of the vote is DOWN – how can that be a good result?
Has this fool actually read the thread?
Ollie- its local elections, its not crap overall- in many areas results are excellent. In the south west its bad however, and there everyone agrees we are getting a kicking. Where exactly has anyone used that line?
Lib dem and green backed indie in a run-off with the English Democrats for mayor of Doncaster. Incredible, and with 20,000 votes from tories and BNP to transfer I have no idea how it will go.
“Lib dem and green backed indie in a run-off with the English Democrats for mayor of Doncaster.”
Status of head: Imploded.
Looks like a setback for the Lib Dems, a royal kicking for Labour and a rush towards the Tories. It’s certainly not a disaster for the Lib Dems, but we’re going to have to do better next year!
Zummerset:
Tories 35, LD 21, Lab 2.
Final.
That high turnout in Princes would be because every Labour activist in South London piled in there on polling day. Not something they’ll be able to repeat in the council elections next year.
BBC national projected voteshare on BBC News – LD up 3% on 28%, Tory on 38% down from 44%, Labour lowest ever on 23% and a wopping 11% Other
BBC projected national share:
Labour: 23% (-1)
Conservative 38% (-6)
Liberal Democrat 28% (+2/+3)
Looks like Labour may be wiped out in Essex unless they pick up something late in Basildon. They had 5 MPs here in 1997, 4 in 2001 and 2 in 2005. Also no progress for BNP in Epping Forest where they won a number of district wards in recent years. Tory clean sweep in Harlow, Rochford, Maldon, Uttlesford, Braintree and Tendring. LDs have done well in Chelmsford with 5 out of 9. Colchester results just starting to come in.
http://countyelections.essexcc.gov.uk/MapOfDistricts.asp
Lib Dems already net 1 up in Essex with most of Colchester yet to declare. Labour started with 13 and may finish with none. Tories well up.
Lib Dems lose net 3 to Tories in Cambridgeshire
Of all the limp excuses I’ve heard so far was Chris Hoon saying the loss of Devon & Somerset was an “anti-incumbancy” vote. Lmfao.
What utter bollocks.
LDs have lost 2 seat to Tories in Harrogate constituency
Held the Zummerset town wards,loss the county divisions. Devon looks like a serious thrashing – there were (like Cornwall) some serious missteps down there esp.in regards the Unitary authority etc etc.
Conservative vote share down.Lmfao.
God, Essex’s coverage is crap. They’ve just taken down last year’s councillors page without showing the gains/losses on their elections pages. Two LDs in Colchester returned, but I can’t find out whether they’re gains or not.
ollie – I think your last sentence just about sums up your two posts so far!
Look at the history of Somerset and Devon. Somerset was NOC anyway, so although we were in minority control losing it isn’t a surprise (although the extent could be.) Devon has swung between Con, Lib Dem and NOC for several elections and it’s just taken a swing again (and Huhne is right, there definately will be an anti-incumbency vote there.) Next up must be Cornwall – fingers crossed.
First 2 wards in Lewes are in as LD holds
P.S. ollie learn to spell
watching bbc news coverage.
Chris Huhne looks like we have lost everything. someone tell him to cheer up!
Mark Littlewood defending Lib dems well on break out interviews.
watching bbc news coverage.
Chris Huhne looks like we have lost everything. someone tell him to cheer up!
Mark Littlewood putting Lib dems case well on break out interviews.
Doesn’t Cornwall take ages to come in, because of the Scilly vote?
Alix – yes Essex is one of the worst. I know we are making gains overall in Essex though as we only started with 8 !
Its not as bad as Suffolk:
http://elections.suffolkcc.gov.uk/electionmap.html
English Democrat gains Mayorality of Doncaster……eh?
Labour taking a right old pasting from the Tories in Nottinghamshire
http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/your_council/councilelections/electionresults.htm
English Democrats win Doncaster mayorality. Incredible result from nowhere.
Kernow also will be late because of the change to Unitary status. Expect a rough set of results. There have been problems.
Brace yourselves for Cornwall. First results none too promising:
http://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=1&V=1&RPID=201878
Staffordshire County Council is big news & a right blow to Labour.
Although the area is mainly rural, most inhabitants are working-class town dwellers who have tended to vote Labour. Overwhelmingly Labour MPs. A lot of the Potteries conurbation, which is culturally & economically part of Sjoke, is for administrative purposes outside the city & is on a council which now has a Tory majority.
Derbyshire much the same, if anything even more working-class. Labour are done for if this happens nationwide.
Kernow (so far):
Tories – 7
LDs – 4
Indies – 4
MK – 1
South West is a disaster. But to be frank its not like there have been a lot of good news stories about good Lib Dem governance there lately have there?
Kernow:
T9/ LD5/ Ind 6/ MK1…Cornwall. Quite interesting that Candy Atherton (whom Julia G. removed from the former Falmouth/ Camborne seat) failed to get elected for Labour in Carn Brea…
Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire are Con holds.
The Rogerson family in at Bodmin Central 🙂 !
T11 / LD9/ i 7/ MK 1
So much for Cameron’s argument that FPTP keeps out extremists. I’m sure the 70% of people in Padiham and Burnley West who didn’t vote BNP and now find themselves represented by the them are perfectly happy with the result. Not.
Leics looking a bit better for us now Harborough is coming in – Labour down 9 to just 4 councillors. Lib Dems up to second in vote share and councillors – now official opposition. Think we could lose a Market Harborough seat
Tories stamp on Labour to take control from NOC in Warwickshire. We pick up a couple. Scores on the doors.
Conservatives 39 (+11)
Labour 10 (-12)
LD 12 (+2)
Ind/Oth 1 (-1)
Tories doing well in Cornwall.
16/LD’s13/I 10/MK 1.
Heading for NOC.
Final grim results from Devon
Con 41 (+18)
Labour 4 (n/c)
Lib Dem 14 (-19)
Ind 2 (n/c)
Green 1 (+1)
ED victory in Doncaster is one step away from having a BNP mayor…. his platform:
“Mr Davies has pledged to reduce council tax over a four year period, starting in 2010, by cutting bureaucracy, ditching the council’s newspaper Doncaster News, stopping all translation services for immigrants, reducing the number of councillors from 63 to 21,axing all the authority’s politically correct jobs and scrapping huge pay offers to senior managers.
He would reduce the mayor’s salary to a maximum of £30,000 and hold a referendum on the mayoral governance of Doncaster.”
Anyone have the vote changes in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset cf 2005? Small swings in a number of marginal seats might make the results look worse than they in fact are. (Though they may be just as grim as the headline losses suggest).
Damn! Steve Rogerson beaten in Bodmin East! 🙁
There has been a lot of disillusionment, resentment, corruption and finger-pointing over the antics of the previous (Labour) mayor. I can’t say I’m surprised that voters chose to vote either lunatic fringe or independent.
I suspect a few west country Lib Dem MPs are regretting their expenses spending decisions (and polishing their CVs)…
24/19/10/1 in Cornwall at the mo. Not as bad as I anticipated tbh but not good either. Pleased to see an Ex Uni mate elected for Lanson North.
Essex just in
Tory 60 up 8
Lib Dem 12 up 4
Lab 1 down 12
Ind 2 down 2
Tories 9 ahead in Kernow.
Cumbria will be interesting, but results are trickling out very slowly http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/election2009/Results/map.asp
Cambs CC is now fully declared. Lib Dems lost 4 seats in East Cambs to Conservatives, took 3 seats in South Cambs from Conservatives and gained and lost one each in Huntingdonshire. We took King’s Hedges from Labour in Cambridge city, and Labour lost Abbey to the Greens (their first county council seat) on a big swing. We also held onto Petersfield (a ward whose three city councillors are all Labour) and Castle (where an Independent, ex Lib Dem, came second).
Net results: Conservatives 42 (n/c), Lib Dems 23 (n/c), Labour 2 (-2), Green 1 (+1). What seems to have happened is that Lib Dem support is now more concentrated in the south of the county (rural South Cambs and Cambridge city).
As a curiosity, the Libertarian Party’s only candidate to public office came bottom of the poll in Wisbech South with 140 votes.
We should be up in Leics as we have matched 2005 performance with 3 LD wards yet to declare
Stephen
In Devon vote share are Tories 42% and Lib Dems 30%.
Not great – but not as bad as the movement in seats might make you think.
The Tories will probably be nearly as disappointed with 42% as we will with 30%.
I suspect this is a bad omen for the Euro results though.
Crap turnout en Kernow…low 20’s. 39/22/20/2…at present. 34%/28% vote share.
Surrey all in. Bleurgh. Was looking like we might be making a bit of an inroad there for a while.
Con 56 (-3)
Lib Dem 13 (+1)
Res Assoc 9 (+2)
Labour 1 (-1)
Ind 1 (+1)
Thank the maker that Restormel is yet to declare in Kernow. There have been a few losses in the Borough, but there should be some decent holds.
Labour lost all their four seats on Dorset CC, all in Weymouth & Portland, three to Tory one to Lib Dem. We also (re)gained with a 20% majority the marginal Weymouth Town ward where incumbent had crossed the floor to join the Tories and stood under his new colours, and held the ultra-marginal Lodmoor where ex-MP Ian Bruce stood as Tory candidate.
For first time ever we outpolled the Tories across the whole of Weymouth, and turnouts were pretty decent overall.
Total wipeout for Labour, behind us in every seat but one, which was where the current mayor and defending CCllr was 40 ahead of us.
So far know of one gain and two losses elsewhere in Dorset.
Independants move ahead en Kernow. Not unexpected…
Current score:
Conservative 41 34%
Liberal Democrat 28 28%
Independent 26 23%
Mebyon Kernow 2 4%
Slightly slow as MK have won a 3rd seat, and Restormel is in and there have been losses to the Tories there (St. Dennis). However the City of Truro (my home in spirit) seems to be coming through.
I just cannot believe the electorate in Teignbridge. LD has been the best ever for us here compared to Torbay under the Tories..I understand peoples anger at the sleaze that has gone on but they have so cut of their noses to spite their faces. If Torbay is anything to go by we are so going to pay for this mistake.A very sad day for Teignbridge
And whoever is “speaking” for the Liberal D’s on BBC Radio Cornwall needs to be taken out and spanked soundly. Good job the election has finished…otherwise there could have been another 10k votes lost…
Final result in Cornwall:
Conservatives 50
Liberal D..38
Indies 32
MK 3
Council to NOC. Labour fail to win a single seat. Some weird results, and hopefully Steve R. can return next time.
Essex final score
Con 60 (+10)
LD 12 (+4)
Lab 1 (-12)
Ind 2 (n/c)
Others 0 (-2)
Labour nearly wiped out altogether. Wasn’t a straight wipe-out though. At least three of our gains were from the Tories. They in turn gained off Labour. Weird. Strange also to see “Others” decreasing here.
Not a good result in Oxfordshire. 4 wards lost to Tories – these wards cover most of Evan Harris’ seat. Also 1 ward lost TO LABOUR(!!) in Oxford City. ouch. Labour have done pretty well in Oxford City actually, picking up 5 seats. Of course FPTP has magnified small changes in vote share, and the Greens have done fairly well too which might have not helped.
Labour getting another trouncing in Northamptonshire. Looks like we’ll pick up one or two.
Dorset Egdon Heath LD gain from Tory by four votes after 3 recounts. majority successively 2,3,3,4. The RO, under pressure from incumbent Tory and agent, didn’t declare it after two successive identical counts but as majority increased on 4th count said enough is enough.
As I feared, Market Harborough West and Foxton is a Con Gain from Lib Dem – by 8 votes. Lib Dems still heading for net gains in Leics.
One welcome gain in Northants is in Corby – our first seat there for many moons.
Final from Leicestershire. Not bad (apart from the BNP seat).
Con 36 (+5)
LD 14 (+3)
Lab 4 (-9)
BNP 1 (+1)
I just blogged about how much the Conservatives unfairly benefited from our rubbish democracy.
http://bit.ly/ToryFPTP
Final Leics result was Market Harborough East. Lib Dems held off the Tories by 27 votes. A relief given the result in MH West & Foxton
@Stephen Coincidentally I’ve just been looking at Devon’s results.
Drat. Can’t type. Should have been http://hopingformorethanslogans.blogspot.com/2009/06/devon-election-results.html
Oh dear 🙂
http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/democracy/elections/elections2009/candidatesandresults/division.htm?division=st_ives
Don’t you now have to dissolve the party now or something.
Picked off three Tory prime seats in the Stratford on Avon constituency, but lost one — after picking up the best result against the Tories anywhere last year. The net gain of two in Stratford plus net hold across rest of the county pushes Lib-Dems ahead of Labour in Warwickshire, and are now official opposition.
Have we ever been in control of Leicestershire or even come close???
I think Matthew is partly right when he points to incumbency as a factor explaining the poor performances in the South-West. What he needs to tell us, and doesn’t, is why some Lib Dem councils survive election after election (eg, Sutton, Stockport, Lewes, Eastleigh), while others yo-yo (Devon and Somerset). Perhaps it has something to do with the ability of Lib Dems locally to defend their administrations. How many of those defeated Devon councillors put out regular Focuses, one wonders? How much time did they spend in County Hall rather than among their voters? Lib Dems did much better in areas with a long history of professional campaigning (eg, Watford, Eastleigh, Winchester, Eastbourne). The laid back and laccadaisical lost out badly.
The Labour wipe-out wasn’t as comprehensive as it first appears. They held on in Exeter and Hastings, and still have a county councillor in Colchester with quite a hefty majority. Labour isn’t finished yet. Once they stop committing hara kiri in public, and the economy begins to mend, they will be back.
BTW, what has happened to all the trolls demanding the lynching of Lord Rennard? Have they, perhaps, been busy getting the vote out for David Cameron these past few days? If I were Nick Clegg, I would send Lord Rennard on a special mission to Devon.
@ Simon – true, the overall Oxfordhsire results are not great for the Lib Dems (down 5) – but the Oxford city results aren’t so bad. True, we lost one seat to Lab (in what is now a split county division), but the real losers were the Greens, who lost three seats to Labour.
In terms of the share of the vote in the city, the Lib Dems were ahead of Labour (29% to 28%), with the Greens on 22% and the Tories on 18%. This was slightly down on the LD ’05 result – but that was general election day in a student city, so perhaps not surprising.
Sesenco,
You ask why do some LibDem councils go on and on, and others are lost.
You are right that there are local organisational factors, and this just proves my point – however much the national media may insist it’s all just a referendum on national politics, it just ain’t so.
I don’t know enough about what happens in Devon and Somerset to say for sure. I know a little about what happened in Adur, which for years and years was a successful Liberal then Liberal Democrat District Council (it’s the bit between Worthing and Brighton in Sussex), and then it suddenly all imploded. It was all down to silly local personal factors really.
It may just be that places like Lewes are more naturally liberal, while in the south-west they are less ideologically liberal and the party’s strength there is more a historical thing, which is losing out as the party is establishing a stronger ideological identity. Just a guess, that, weak campaigning and resting on laurels is likely also to be a big factor.
Just looked closer at the East Sussex results, Lewes itself (the town which forms part of the district/constituency) is represented by an Independent who won with a massive majority – history seems to be she was a LibDem once, flirted with the Greens, but is now firmly Independent.
Polegate Willingdon and East Dean is a two-member division, represented by two Independents who also had large majorities, are ex-LibDems, and are both member of a Chinese family called Shing.
Labour has done bizarrely well in Hastings.
Over in West Sussex, the complete disappearance of the LibDems in their once stronghold of Adur shows what I said. But the LibDems do have the majority of seats in Worthing.
There are local factors in all of these. The nmational media’s inability to capture these and to suppose instead it’s all down to national swing is just pure laziness and ignorance. Why can’t they print some interesting and useful news such as the stories behind all this?
Actually – when Ian Roebuck posted he didn’t have the full news on Dorset. In South Dorset we gained 3 seats – 2 from the Tories (one, Egdon Heath by just 4 votes) & 1 from Labour. That’s one extra seat ont eh County Council.
Gains against the Tories totally against the national trend & the trend in the South West.
Looking very interesting for us in the General Election now !!