UK local elections, May 2012

[YL]

Labour gain Sutton Vesey, Birmingham!!!!!

[Sibboleth]

Labour gain Sutton Vesey, Birmingham!!!!!

Yeah, that's pretty huge. Also, a great example of a frequent candidate hitting the jackpot.

[You kip if you want to...]

Labour haven't a known an election night like this since... I dunno...

[YL]

Second reported gain in Bradford for Respect: Bowling & Barkerend (from Con).

[Sibboleth]

Cannock and Carlisle have Labour majorities; not sure if that's been mentioned yet.

[YL]

No to mayor in Nottingham.

[Sibboleth]

A Plaid majority likely in Ceredigion; an excellent result for them given the ghastly Westminster result and poor Assembly one.

[Sibboleth]

Nigel Dawkins goes down in Bournville.

[Sibboleth]

Early results in Caerphilly are strikingly good for Labour.

[YL]

Lab gain Blundellsands, Sefton.

[YL]

Labour gain Sutton Vesey, Birmingham!!!!!

Another "not even close" moment.

Lab 3,231
Con 2,426
Green 285
LD 241

[Pilchard]

Peterborough is all in, Conservative hold.

Was Con 35, Peterborough Independents 9, Lab 6, Liberal 3, Lib Dem 3, English Democrats 1
Now Con 32 (-3), Peterborough Independents 7 (-2), Lab 11 (+5), Liberal 3 (nc), Lib Dem 4 (+1), English Democrats 0 (-1)

Labour gained 2 from Conservatives (Paston and Orton Longueville), 2 from the independent group who had recently defected from the Tories (Fletton and Woodston, Bretton North) and 1 from English Democrats (who were not contesting their seat in East). Liberal Democrats gained Werrington South from the Conservatives.

So far in Cambridge, Lib Dems have lost East Chesterton to Labour but have held 3 other wards. Labour have held 1. Lib Dems may hang on to their majority after all.

[Sibboleth]

Labour gain Sutton Vesey, Birmingham!!!!!

Another "not even close" moment.

Lab 3,231
Con 2,426
Green 285
LD 241

Fycking hell.

[Sibboleth]

Labour have made large gains in Wrexham and are now the largest group with 23 seats (more than double the result in 2008). Independents have basically held their ground, as have the Tories. Plaid wiped out and big LibDem losses.

[Sibboleth]

Remarkable news from Merthyr: according to the BBC Jeff Edwards (Council Leader and longtime fixture of Independent politics in the Valleys) has lost his seat.

[Sibboleth]

Early results in Caerphilly are strikingly good for Labour.

Rumours that the Leader of the Council has lost his seat (not a good night for people in that post, is it?) along with Ron Davies.

[You kip if you want to...]

Sadeeq and Sayeeda were arguing for about 2 hours on BBC, now they've hopped over to Sky together. Jesus.

[Die-hard Clockworkfan]

Huge Labour gains in Bury.  Labour gained all three Lib Dem seats in Prestwich and seven seats from the Conservatives in the rest of the borough.  The Tories won only Pilkington Park in Whitefield, Church in Bury and North Manor; they lost Tottington.  New council is Lab 36 (+10) C 13 (-7) LD 2 (-3).

Bolton had the same results as last year.  New council is Lab 41 (+6) C 14 (-4) LD 3 (-2).

[You kip if you want to...]

Eastleigh. 40-2 to the Libs. Bizarre place.

[Die-hard Clockworkfan]

Whenever the Times were doing articles with councils to watch, they included Eastleigh with the comment "UKIP candidates in Chris Huhne's constituency".  Pointless.

[Leftbehind]

Sounds like a Lab Gain in Southampton.

[YL]

Two more big Labour gains: Queen Edith's ward in Cambridge and Harington ward in Sefton (posh bit of Formby).

[Sibboleth]

Labour gain Blaenau Gwent. I'm sure that this news will come as a great shock to all.

[Pilchard]

Two more big Labour gains: Queen Edith's ward in Cambridge and Harington ward in Sefton (posh bit of Formby).

That's a big one, Labour haven't held any seats in Queen Edith's at all since it was created in 1976 and haven't done better than 3rd since 1995. It's a Labour Co-op candidate as well.

Final result LD 21 (-4) Lab 19 (+4) Con 1 (+1) Ind 1 (nc) Green 0 (-1), Lib Dems lose majority but have half of the seats.

[Sibboleth]

Labour gain Merthyr Tydfil. But a bizarre detail: a seat for UKIP in Penydarren. Candidate in question is yet another former member of Forward Wales and has run in Westminster and Assembly elections before and was an incumbent councillor (elected as an Indy).