There were two Liberal Democrats triumphs in yesterday's local elections here in Leicestershire.
In Hinckley & Bosworth we gained nine seats from the Conservatives to take control of the council. The balance there is now 21 Lib Dems, 11 Conservatives and 2 Labour.
We previously had control of the authority between 2007 and 2015.
In Oadby & Wigston, which we have held since 1991, we gained five seats - four from the Tories and one from Labour.
The balance now is Lib Dems 24 and Tories 2.
And they are lucky to have two. Oadby & Wigston Conservatives spend their time feuding, joining Ukip and indulging in endless negative campaigning on social media.
It's no wonder that people have become less and less inclined to vote for them over the years.
Since you ask, in Harborough we gained four seats from the Conservatives, who remain in control.
Now that twelve hours have passed since the announcement of the last results, I think I can pour on some cold water without feeling too guilty. Across a lot of the Midlands and North of England, performance was back to 1983, as if Lib Dems hadn't elected councillors and MPs in recent years. When I mention Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Dudley, Fylde, Manchester, Oldham etc, I'm not having a go at those who stood as paper candidates or campaigned without success in target wards. I just think that some Lib Dems need to reflect on how little the party has recovered in many urban areas.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is it is patchy in urban areas. Last year we gained control of two councils in London and we have made good progress in cities like Hull and Sheffield. We've also made breakthroughs in areas like Sunderland and Barnsley where we have never had strength in the past. We've also started to begin a comeback in Liverpool, although as you rightly point out there are blackholes like Leicester and Nottingham. However, some of the areas you mention, e.g. Coventry, Dudley and Fylde have never been areas of Lib Dem strength in modern times.
DeleteOne of my mates (DH) at university in the 1980s was the son of the Liberal councillor in Sunderland at the time. DH taught me how hard you have to work to win. After a few years in Nottingham, we won a seat (another good mate) who encouraged other good mates, and enough people were elected to look like a political organisation.
ReplyDeleteIt was all crushed like a fart cushion.