UK Local Elections: Tories Wipe the Floor with Labour

[the-analyst2007]

UK Local Elections: Tories Wipe the Floor with Labour

The BBC are projecting the following in terms of share of votes:

Conservative Party: 44%
Liberal Democrats: 25%
Labour Party: 24%


Worst result for Labour in modern history. The party is blaming the "credit crisis" .

The margin between the tories and labour is 20%. The tories came from a 10% marginal loss to labour in the 1985 locals to win the 1987 general election (BBC). A 20% marginal loss for Labour indicates an monumental task of winning or tying the general election in 2009/2010.

[soubresauts]

Makes you wonder: How did Blair manage to win those elections...?

I suppose he always had the Tories in disarray. But now there's Cameron & co, who have a serious amount of credibility.

[the-analyst2007]

Makes you wonder: How did Blair manage to win those elections...?

I suppose he always had the Tories in disarray. But now there's Cameron & co, who have a serious amount of credibility.

Plus, business loving Blair managed to garner the Southern England vote, Scottish Brown who does'nt know if he's a socialist or not will probably not sway this vote the next time out.

[Thac0man]

Wow, labour in Third place.

Considering how utterly unready the Tories are for government and how completely deluded the Lib Dems are, British poltics is in for a bumpy ride over the next few years.

I lay good money on Portillo re-entering politics at the next general election.

[Stíofán]

Makes you wonder: How did Blair manage to win those elections...?

Blair lost the locals in 2004, 51% to the Tories, 39% to Labour. Similarly Labour lost 833 seats in 2003. They lost 319 seats in 2006 and in that election, like this one, appeared to have come 3rd in share of the vote, with around 26%.

BBC take on 2006 elections

[coc]

What would the effect of a Labour meltdown at the next general election be in Scotland? Tory ressurection or SNP landslide? If we don't have a united Ireland by 2016 will have a united Britain either?

[NeilW]

Similarly Labour lost 833 seats in 2003. They lost 319 seats in 2006

Yeah but those seat losses were coming off high bases in terms of seats fought / defended. Only c. 4,000 seats were up for grabs last night and they were last fought in 2004 which itself was a disastrous night for Labour (coming as it did in the period of maximum dissatisfaction with Iraq etc..). Yesterday was a disaster for Labour and nothing more than they deserved too. Time to go back to their constituencies and prepare for opposition.

[Keith-M]

Similarly Labour lost 833 seats in 2003. They lost 319 seats in 2006

Yeah but those seat losses were coming off high bases in terms of seats fought / defended. Only c. 4,000 seats were up for grabs last night and they were last fought in 2004 which itself was a disastrous night for Labour (coming as it did in the period of maximum dissatisfaction with Iraq etc..). Yesterday was a disaster for Labour and nothing more than they deserved too. Time to go back to their constituencies and prepare for opposition.

Indeed it was the worst night for Labour in over 20 years of elections> If Brown wasn't in the office for less than a year, there would be calls for his head. Most significantlt, it wasn't just an anti-Labour vote, it was a pro-Conservative one. The Lib Dems and PC have gained less than 10 seats each but the Conservatives have gained over 150. Boris will be the icing on the cake, and as pointed out elsewhere, even if he loses by a narrow margin, it could still be to the benefit of both him and his party.

[Eddiepops]

Already a thread running on this here