Tonight's results:
Marlbrook Ward, Bromsgrove DC. Con hold. Con 284 (35%, -27.7), Lab 236 (29.1%, -8.2), Ind 138 (17%, +17), UKIP 68 (8.4%, +8.4), LD 67 (8.3%, +8.3), Green 14 (1.7%, +1.7), Ind 4 (0.5%, +0.5). Swing of 9.8% from Con to Lab since 2007.
Lydden and Temple Newell Ward, Dover DC. Con hold. Con 239 (62.2%, -5.4), Lab 90 (23.4%, +0.6), UKIP 55 (14.3%, +4.6). Swing of 3% from Con to Lab since 2007.
Dover Town Division, Kent CC. Lab gain from Con. Lab 1491 (43.7%, +14.3), Con 1348 (39.5%, -4.3), UKIP 404 (11.8%, +11.8), LD 170 (5%, -21.8). Swing of 9.3% from Con to Lab since 2009. A significant Labour gain and LD collapse in a south east parliamentary marginal. There were previously only two Labour seats on Kent County Council.
Spitalfields & Banglatown Ward, LB Tower Hamlets. Respect gain from Lab. Respect 666 (45.4%, +23.4), Lab 553 (37.7%, +3.6), Con 135 (9.2%, -1.5), Green 52 (3.5%, -8.5), LD 33 (2.2%, -15.1), Ind 28 (1.9%, -1). Swing of 9.9% from Lab to Respect since May this year. This was Lutfur Rahman's seat before he was elected as Mayor.
Sherwood Ward, Tunbridge Wells BC. Con hold. Con 422 (47.6%, -0.4), LD 174 (19.6%, -6.7), Lab 124 (14%, +2.2), UKIP 92 (10.4%, +1), Eng Dem 75 (8.5%, +8.5). Swing of 3.2% from LD to Con since May this year.
Alvechurch Division, Worcs CC. Con hold. Con 657 (52.6%, +11.7), Lab 189 (15.6%, +6.3), Ind 157 (13%, +13), LD 83 (6.9%, -6.4), Ind 79 (6.5, +6.5), UKIP 65 (5.4%, -16.7). Swing of 2.7% from Lab to Con since 2009.
I see Labour has named its candidate for the forthcoming Oldham East and Saddleworth by election.
ReplyDeleteI think I can safely say that, whoever she is, she can only be an improvement on Woolas.
Thanks Luke, gosh, the Lib Dems' share of the vote certainly seems to be continuing its vertiginous decline practically everywhere you look; week after sorry week, in towns and up dales, it's become like watching a psephological horror-film. I can't recall such a relentless melt-down in the fortunes of any political party (major or minor).
ReplyDeleteWhen you consider that, by their very nature, votes in council by-elections contain a disproportionately high number of party activists and their supporters - well then these figures suggest the Lib Dems could be facing catastrophe in May.
PS- I expect I'm stating the obvious for most contributors to this site, it's just that I enjoyed writing it so much!
Merry Xmas
It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people
ReplyDeleteWhilst criticism of the Liberal Democrats may well on occasions be fully justified, I would point out that it is not their fault that Labour lost the general election.
ReplyDeleteLabour managed that itself with policies like, for example, the abolition of the 10p tax rate.
The Liberal Democrats voted against that regressive measure--unlike most Labour MPs.
The Labour Party needs to show some humility for helping to shift politics in this country so far to the right. Some in the party have shown some contrition as well they should.
In response to the last comment, no matter how far in your opinion you think Labour took the country to the right, it was nothing compared to the policies Nick Clegg and his cronies are enthusiastically supporting.
ReplyDeleteWatching the first GE television debate, I was shocked at how right wing Clegg was. I said at the time, "This man is a Tory" but I am still shocked by how his party, a so called "progressive" party is prepared to support regressive measures that are aimed at hurting the least well off.
A friend of mine joined the SDP in 1986 and subsequently the Lib Dems. Last month he joined the Labour Party and there are thousands like him, appalled by the policies the so called "orange tories" are prepared to support.
Whilst I am certainly to the left of Luke and did not support much of the New Labour agenda there is no way that the current policies enthusiastically embraced by the FibDems would have been embraced by Labour
ReplyDelete