LOCAL ELECTIONS:LABOUR LAST night claimed it has begun its electoral fightback after it seized Sheffield and Liverpool councils from the Liberal Democrats in local elections, wiped out the British National Party in Barking and Dagenham and increased its number of councillors across England by 249, following declarations at 125 counts.
The party outperformed the Conservatives and Lib Dems in polls for 134 mainly metropolitan and unitary councils and delivered a hammer blow to the BNP, winning back all 12 of its seats in Barking and forcing it into third place in Stoke. The far-right party lost 24 seats across the country and retained just five. In net terms, Labour gained eight councils, the Conservatives lost eight and the Lib Dems lost two.
“The fightback has to begin at the grassroots level and in local councils,” said Nathan Yeowell, head of the Labour group at the Local Government Association.
“This is a platform from where we can fight back if there is a Tory administration and prove we are a viable alternative capable of providing services and protecting the needy and vulnerable who might be put at risk by cuts.”
The victories in Liverpool, where Labour last held power under Derek Hatton, and Sheffield, which includes Nick Clegg’s parliamentary seat, were seen as the most totemic. The party also snatched Enfield from the Conservatives and won control of Coventry, Doncaster, Hartlepool, Oxford and St Helens from no overall control.
“This is the beginning of Labour’s long build back to power,” said Tony Travers, local government expert at the London School of Economics.
“By winning seats in the local elections they are creating a springboard to possibly win the next general election. Labour has passed the worst part of its local election cycle which is a leading indicator of national fortunes. The gain of Liverpool suggests the ghost of Derek Hatton has finally been exorcised and the people of Liverpool have come to trust Labour again.”
The party still controls less than half the number of councils run by Conservative administrations, but the Tories endured a net loss of eight councils, including North Tyneside, Lincoln, Bury and Solihull.
The Liberal Democrats were left facing a crisis in their core strategy which involves building up support through local elections in order to prepare to gain parliamentary seats.
– ( Guardianservice)