Left Foot Forward #title image Published by Shamik Das, May 8th 2010 at 4:38 pm

Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall

Amidst all the coverage of the general election results, and the subsequent fallout in which the Liberal Democrats have begun talks with the Conservatives, Labour’s local election successes – and the collapse of several Lib-Con coalition councils – has been overlooked. With just six of 166 English councils yet to declare, Labour has gained control of 15 local authorities, including three from the Tories and one from the Liberal Democrats.

Local-elections-2010The Conservatives, meanwhile, lost control of 11 councils and gained control of four, with the Lib Dems losing four and gaining two. There is now no overall control in six fewer councils.

In what should come as a strong warning to Nick Clegg about the consequences of joining up with the Conservatives, in both Brent and Camden – London boroughs in which 100 per cent of seats were up for election – the ruling Lib/Con coalitions fell to Labour, the Lib Dems losing 10 councillors in each, the Tories 11 and Labour gaining 36.

Last week, Left Foot Forward warned that this might happen; Mary Thorogood, editor of Cameron’s Councils, wrote:

“The Tory/Lib Dem Camden council is pursuing an aggressive policy of selling off council homes in the borough, allowing private property developers to make huge profits by ‘flipping’ or reselling them quickly onto the open market… whilst Brent is closing community centres and hiking charges.”

In terms of councillors overall, the most significant losses were incurred by the British National Party, losing 58 per cent of its 45 councillors – down to just 19. George Galloway’s Respect party also suffered badly, losing eight of its 12 councillors. Among the mainstream parties, Labour gained 414 councillors to 2,857, the Conservatives lost 121 to 3,364 and the Lib Dems lost 141 to 1,615.

• Download a spreadsheet of all the council changes here.

Comments
  1. Ell Aitch says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con coucils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  2. simon872 says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  3. Shamik Das says:

    It's not all bad! Mr Clegg, take note: RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  4. RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  5. RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  6. RT @leftfootfwd Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  7. Max says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con coucils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  8. RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con coucils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  9. Mags W says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con coucils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  10. Samuel Tarry says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con coucils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  11. Max says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  12. RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  13. RT: @leftfootfwd Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  14. Ian M says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  15. Paul Duxbury says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con coucils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln <—— amazing achvmnt when seen alongside national picture

  16. RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con coucils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  17. MikeSC says:

    Very heartening news indeed.

  18. Mauro says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  19. phil fuhr says:

    @lisanova Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln If Liberal side with Tory they will lose plenty of votes next time

  20. Simon Latham says:

    RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  21. RT @leftfootfwd: Gains for Labour as Lib-Con councils fall: http://bit.ly/aa6gln

  22. Mr. Sensible says:

    I know that in Notts, the Tories had their majority severely reduced in Bassetlaw from 12 to just 2.

  23. Local elections – Lib-Con Councils fall to Labour gains http://bit.ly/bY5OuD

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