From the Guardian:
Official data shows that the Lib Dems have increased their proportion of candidates to the equivalent of 60% of seats being fought in England and Wales on 4 May, up seven percentage points on 2019, when the same set of elections were last held.
By contrast the Tories, who have always prided themselves on running full slates of candidates wherever possible, are down 3% to 93%, their lowest level since 2007. Labour’s proportion of candidates per seat has remained the same, at 77%.
The improvement in the figure for the Lib Dems is impressive when you remember that in 2019 we were in good spirits and campaigning under the slogan Bollocks to Brexit.
And let's hear it for those inevitable unnamed 'Lib Dem officials':
Lib Dem officials say that in many councils across the country where the Tories should be strong, from Stockport in the north-west to Lewes in East Sussex, the Tory party is not fielding full slates of candidates.
My rough calculation is that the 3% decline in Conservative candidates equates to around 225. If reports are true that the Conservatives were really struggling to get people to stand then I imagine there will be more paper candidates and overall the number of man hours put into campaigning will be well down. I can't imagine canvassing will be much fun for them this year.
ReplyDeleteQuite frankly a great opportunity for Lib Dems in Cons facing councils where we've upped our numbers on the ballot.