Labour suffers electoral drubbing
Labour suffers electoral drubbing
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Friday, 05, May 2006 10:23
Voters in England have dealt Labour a major blow, with the party expected to have lost more than 250 council seats once final results from yesterday’s local elections are collated.
With results declared for 140 councils, Labour had lost 192 seats, compared with 204 gains for the Conservatives and two losses for the Liberal Democrats.
Following Labour’s worst election performance since coming to power nine years ago, commentators claim the prime minister will be under pressure to name the date of his departure from Downing Street.
Meanwhile, cabinet minister Geoff Hoon predicted that Tony Blair would immediately move to reshuffle his ministerial team in the aftermath of the electoral drubbing and a series of scandals that have plagued the government over the past week.
"This seems to be about the right time, it is time for a new team to take over," Mr Hoon told BBC television.
"There is going to be a reshuffle, I am sure," he added.
Following damaging headlines concerning the accidental release of more than 1,000 foreign prisoners, controversial job cuts in the NHS and revelations about an extra-marital affair between deputy prime minister John Prescott and a civil servant, Labour looks set to face a particularly heavy drubbing in London, where losses currently include Lewisham, Bexley and Merton and Camden.
Although Labour gained Lambeth, they have also lost Ealing, Bexley and Hammersmith and Fulham to the Conservatives.
So far, Mr Blair’s party has lost control of 18 councils, while the Conservatives are set to achieve their best local election performance since 1992.
The first electoral test for new Tory leader David Cameron saw the opposition seize the Labour stronghold of Crawley and take control of Bassetlaw and Mole Valley, although the party lost West Lindsey district council in Lincolnshire and Gosport in Hampshire.
The Liberal Democrats, also facing their first poll under new leader Sir Menzies Campbell, had a mixed performance, winning Richmond, South Lakeland and St Albans, while losing control of Islington and Milton Keynes.
Among the smaller parties, the Greens have secured 13 seats, while the UK Independence Party made a gain in Hartlepool.
Meanwhile, the British National party (BNP) has so far doubled its number of councillors, following gains that included 11 seats in Barking and Dagenham.
With some results yet to be declared, voter turnout is currently at 36 per cent.