'The Liberal Democrats are the big winners in this year's local elections… the time's up for @RishiSunak and his appalling Conservative government' @EdwardJDavey declares victory and says the next general election can come within the next 12 months https://t.co/BfbQ5GvmQVpic.twitter.com/rRe9qypaWo
— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) May 5, 2023
This is a groundbreaking night for the Liberal Democrats. We are exceeding all expectations. We have delivered a hammer blow to the Conservative Party in the Blue Wall ahead of next year’s general election.
That was Ed Davey early this morning BEFORE we heard the result from Windsor and Maidenhead.
Yesterday’s elections were built on the excellent results for the Lib Dems in 2019, so we were being somewhat cautious about our capacity to increase our wins this time. On the other hand the Conservatives had been managing expectations by making out that fewer than 1000 losses on the night would be a victory of sorts. In the event, the night ended with the Tories already down by 228 councillors, with some of the most vulnerable blue wall areas yet to be counted. Lib Dems are already up by 61, and three quarters of all councils are yet to declare.
So what happened in Windsor and Maidenhead? This is what happened:
Ministers are expected to announce that they are scrapping Labour plans to introduce “pay as you throw” rubbish schemes. Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, and Caroline Spelman, the environment secretary, will confirm that they will end schemes in which people are charged for household waste collections or for producing too much rubbish.
In one sense this is a bit of a non-story. Labour didn’t, despite the Guardian’s misleading report, plan to introduce ‘pay as you throw’ rubbish schemes – what they did was enable councils to pilot such schemes if they wished. Unsurprisingly, not least given the furore …
A Conservative political adviser at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has been forced to resign, after a taped phone conversation was posted on the internet, alleging that he was conspiring to oust the council’s deputy leader Alison Knight.
André Walker, a former high-flying Conservative student, who has previously worked for London Councils, and Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham councils, was recorded and photographed on a phone by another passenger on Tuesday night, travelling travelling back from Waterloo station.
A statement from the Royal Borough said: “Effective from this morning (Friday 5 March 2010) Mr André Walker has tendered his resignation from his position in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. This has been accepted and he is no longer employed by the council. The Royal Borough will not be making any further comment.”
Mr Walker said: “I went into work today (Friday) as usual. My position was untenable and I resigned. I was on the train on Tuesday night, I made some comments I shouldn’t have, I was incredibly unlucky to sit next to a left wing activist who decided to record me.
“I put the council in a difficult position, I have apologised for that. A conversation I had was overheard, I said the wrong thing, I have apologised. That apology has gone to various people in the group including Alison Knight. I resigned because that was the appropriate thing to do. I haven’t spoken to Alison Knight.
“I think I have been pretty reasonable. I owned up to a mistake I have made. It’s pretty hurtful for me to hear all these allegations.”
Listen to the conversation below or view a transcript on You Tube.
Catherine Crosland Nick Baird, There are no easy answers, but surely it is better to focus on improving palliative care, and also research towards finding preventions and cures f...
Nick Baird @Catherine Crosland - surely another valid question is how many people should be forced to endure pain, suffering and distress for up to an additional 6 months ...
Catherine Crosland If any MPs are reading this, I would like to ask you this : Are you prepared to accept the fact that inevitably some vulnerable people will be coerced into endi...
Dominic @Mike Peters - I agree that we should indeed support the right of people of sound mind to end their lives whether or not they suffer from a terminal illness.
...
Peter Martin Sorry. Should be " financially better off out of the EU"....
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