As of 7:45pm, the Liberal Democrats accordinf to the BBC, have gained 190 councillors in today’s elections in England, 20 in Scotland and 11 in Wales. It’s fair to say that this way exceeds our expectations.
In Ed Davey’s home patch in Kingston, our Council must be doing something right. We achieved 41 seats compared to 3 Tories and an Independent. The final ward is subject to a deferred election because of the sad death of one of the candidates. This is even better than the Richmond result where we won 48 seats (up 9) with just 6 opposition seats.
As if that wasn’t enough, we then go and gain 20, yes that is 20 not 2.0 seats in St Albans.
We now control 16 councils which is up 3.
And Peter Taylor was healthily re-elected as Mayor of Watford.
We are undoubtedly the big winners of the election across the country.
Ed Davey has been touring the country meeting our new Councillors. Here he is on the BBC with a beautifully arranged backdrop of Somerset councillors:
Earlier in the day, he told a crowd of Wimbledon Lib Dems, fresh from their 12 gains in the ultra marginal seat:
What began as a tremor in Chesham and Amersham, became an earthquake in North Shropshire, and is now an almighty shockwave that will bring this Conservative Government tumbling down.
It is the movement of millions of people who are saying loud and clear: “We have had enough.”