UK local elections, May 2012

[afleitch]

My old Hamilton North and East ward is in. No change; 2 LAB, 1 SNP. Sadly Barry Douglas has been ousted as SNP councillor and replaced with Lynn Adams who likley won on the basis that her name came first on the ballot paper.

[Sibboleth]

Gwynedd does what Gwynedd does best and provides a bit of a surreal result. Results last time: Plaid 35, Independent 18, Llais Gwynedd 12, LDem 5, Labour 4

Results this time: Plaid 37, Independent 18, Llais Gwynedd 13, Labour 4, LDem 2

And what's so surreal about that? The massive turnover in seats between the two elections, despite the overal numbers being so stable. Anyway, the big story is the failure of Plaid's attempt to destroy Llais. They're here to stay, it seems. So I'll just drone on about Arfon for a bit. Don't think much changed in Caernarfon, as I'd expected. In Bangor the big story was the success of various Local Candidate For Local People Independents (one of which was elected in 2008 as a LibDem) who gained a seat off Plaid in Upper Bangor, held Hirael (see earlier), and gained two seats in Maes-G, one off Labour and one of a different Independent. Plaid, meanwhile, have gained a seat in Upper Bangor off the LibDems, while Labour gained the infamous Deiniol ward off Plaid. In the old slate communities things went pretty badly for Plaid and its possible that they were lucky to have so many seats there uncontested (and functionally unconotested in one case where the only opponent - who still mananged a respectable poll - was from the SLP). They lost Deiniolen (and by miles) to an Independent and lost Bethel to Labour (and that wasn't close either). The longtime Labour incumbent in Tregarth & Mynydd Llandygai somehow mananged to win again, this time by four votes (I think it was two in 2008). Tregarth is much larger than Mynydd Llandygai and is the Plaid bit. The Independent in Talysarn held off a very still challenge from Llais.

[State Comptroller Atkins]

Dave Nellist has lost his seat.

[State Comptroller Atkins]

Warsi just used the term "National Government".

[YL]

Sheffield is all in.

On the night Lab 21, LD 6, Green 1.  Compared with 2008 that's Lab +10, LD -10.  The numbers of seats won are the same as last year, but two wards had different results.  Council now Lab 59, LD 23, Green 2.

Lab gain from LD:
Beauchief & Greenhill
Broomhill
East Ecclesfield
Hillsborough
Mosborough
Nether Edge
Stocksbridge & Upper Don
Walkley
West Ecclesfield
plus Gleadless Valley on a 2008 comparison (defection)

LD hold:
Crookes
Dore & Totley
Ecclesall
Fulwood
Graves Park
Stannington

Green hold:
Central

Labour hold:
everywhere else

[Leftbehind]

Interesting. So have Labour fell back from last year? They've won Beauchief & Greenhill, but lost Crookes, and I hadn't banked on the Liberal holding as well, given the national swing to Labour since May '11 and the tiny leads they had last year.

Although, saying that, I suppose the Liberals have stagnated on their low since last May, whereas the Tories have clearly shed a noticeable amount of their vote, certainly the BBC projected national vote share and their swings seem to bare this out. Maybe Labour have maxed out their possible gains from the Liberal vote?

[Leftbehind]

Bristol vote yes.

[afleitch]

Good news for Labour in Renfrewshire; they have taken overall control.

[YL]

Interesting. So have Labour fell back from last year? They've won Beauchief & Greenhill, but lost Crookes, and I hadn't banked on the Liberal holding as well, given the national swing to Labour since May '11 and the tiny leads they had last year.

Although, saying that, I suppose the Liberals have stagnated on their low since last May, whereas the Tories have clearly shed a noticeable amount of their vote, certainly the BBC projected national vote share and their swings seem to bare this out. Maybe Labour have maxed out their possible gains from the Liberal vote?

Yes, I don't think the LDs have done much, if at all, worse against Labour than last year.  Compared to 2011 it's the Tories who are suffering, not that that affects much in Sheffield, though they had some embarrassing results like coming fourth in Ecclesall.

As for Crookes, there is an obvious explanation which I don't like very much, but we all know it happens.  Alternatively, it was an extremely good result for Labour last year, and maybe what happened this year is partly a correction of that.

[YL]

Calderdale

Lab 9 (+7), LD 3 (-3), Con 5 (-3), BNP 0 (-1) (comparisons with 2008 election)

A bit of a mixed bag. Good LD result in Calder, but bad in Warley.

Lab gain:
Brighouse
Illingworth & Mixenden
Luddendenfoot
Park
Sowerby Bridge
Todmorden
Warley

LD held Calder (council leader's seat) and Elland, and regained the defector's seat in Greetland & Stainland.

Con held Rastrick.

Kirklees

Lab 12 (+5), Con 5 (-3), LD 3 (-4), Green 2 (+1), Ind 1 (+1).

Lab gain:

Dalton
Denby Dale
Dewsbury South
Dewsbury West
Golcar

Green gain:
Kirkburton

Con gain:
Lindley

Ind gain:

Holme Valley North

Compared with last year, Labour won Denby Dale and Dewsbury South and the LDs Colne Valley, all of which were Tory in 2011.

[Leftbehind]

Wakefield & Newcastle vote No; Doncaster decide to retain their Mayor.

[You kip if you want to...]

Labour doing much better than expected in Scotland. This has truely been a brilliant election.

[afleitch]

Labour are doing well in Scotland (as are the SNP). I'll need to dissect the results as there is a regional variance in every parties support. In some parts the Lib Dems added seats for example. Though I wouldn't say it's been a brilliant election. It's been good for Labour certainly but in comparison to other midterms, is not spectacular. Both Foot and Hague made bigger gains two years in and look what happened to them! But having local representation is always good for parties, especially in the south where Labour had been wiped out.

[Sibboleth]

It has been confirmed - after two recounts - that Rodney Berman (Leader of Cardiff City Council) has lost his seat. Berman is a prick, so I'm currently grinning.

But it's part of a general pattern in Wales: apparently one of the least secure jobs here is being the Leader of a council. Hilariously the leader of RCT managed to lose his seat despite Labour winning a landslide there.

[Leftbehind]

No for Birmingham. Only Leeds to go now.

[afleitch]

Edinburgh

LAB 20 (+5)
SNP 18 (+5)
CON 11
GRN 6 (+3)
LIB 3 (-13)

Bloodbath for the Lib Dems and I'm quite shocked the Tories ended up level. Very good result for the Greens of course. Will be interesting to see how this pans out in terms of a coalition. The Lib Dem in the Pentland Hills Ward was beaten by a man dressed as a penguin in first preferences. Also an 'interesting' number of ballot papers were spoiled by people writing 'TRAMS' all over them,

Dundee won by the SNP. Labour make stonking gains in Aberdeen and have first stab at forming a coalition. Glasgow still out, but Labour expected to hang on.

[Sibboleth]

LIB 3 (-13)

You'd need a heart of stone not to laugh.

[Sibboleth]

Mr Berman asked for a recount after missing out by 12 votes and then called for a second recount after losing by 14.

But a final count left him 51 votes adrift.

[Leftbehind]

Glasgow's Labour. That's f'd up the Tory message.

[joevsimp]

My dad's result is in....

Newbold and Brownsover Ward, Rugby

BRYANS James - Green Party - 155
COLES Andy - Labour Party Candidate - 649 - ELECTED
DAHMASH Yousef - The Conservative Party Candidate - 415
DUNLEAVY Lorna Beryl - Green Party lead candidate - 173
EDWARDS Claire - Labour Party Candidate - 628 - ELECTED
SMITH Bill - Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts - 145
SRIVASTAVA Ram - Labour Party Candidate - 576 - ELECTED
WALTON Martin - The Conservative Party Candidate - 467
WATTS Rachel Elizabeth - The Conservative Party Candidate - 465

Last place was not unexpected I suppose. Also, anyone else notice something....errrr....ummmm....'interesting' about these figures?

erm, Labour candidate's votes are in alphabetical order?

ah got it, yes...forgive me if I'm not totally shocked by that (I am appalled though)

on a related note, was there not a CPGB MP in the '30s name Srivastava?

[Sibboleth]

Under the radar perhaps, but good results for Labour in East Lancashire; Labour majorities in both Burnley and Rossendale

[bore]

I really shouldn't be, but I'm quite pleased that Jenny Dawe, the lib dem council leader, moved halfway across the city to what was supposed to be a safer ward and ended up losing.

[Leftbehind]

Thanks for sharing that.

[Vasall des Midas]

Labour gain Sutton Vesey, Birmingham!!!!!

[London Man]

Good all round for Labour - our likely loss in the London Mayor race is going to be the only real blip.