Westcountryman

The Conservatives have held Monmouthshire, with an increase of 5 seats. Labour lost 2 seats, Plaid Cymru lost 1. 'Others' lost 4, the LDs gained 2.

BBC NEWS | Election 2008 | Monmouthshire council

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Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietam - "This hand of mine, which is hostile to tyrants, seeks by the sword quiet peace under liberty."

Britannist

Projected national votes share based on 2008 Local Elections:

Conservatives 44% +4 on last year
Liberal Dims 26% -1 on last year
Labour 24% - -3% on last year

So the europhile Liberal 'Democrats' are down in projected national vote share on last year . Presenter Jeremy Vine said on BBC 1 Television/BBC News Channel at 4.03 am today "This year's results are a big worry for 'Nick' Clegg's employment prospects given that the last leader of his party, Sir Menzies Campbell, was removed after his party got 26% of the vote in the 2007 local elections."

Committed europhile Clegg won the leadership of the Liberal 'Democrats' last December by just over 500 votes. Reports say his main opponent in that leadership contest, pro-EU 'Chris' Huhne MP enjoyed good local council election results in his own Eastleigh constituency yesterday.

Westcountryman

Another highlight is Plymouth, with the Tories holding the Council.

The Tories took a further 6 seats from Labour.

BBC NEWS | Election 2008 | Plymouth council

__________________
Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietam - "This hand of mine, which is hostile to tyrants, seeks by the sword quiet peace under liberty."

Britannist

Good to see Labour (Lie-bour) and the europhile Welsh 'Nationalists' (Plaid Cymru) lose seats - pity the pro-EU Liberal 'Democrats' won two. Overall the Liberal 'Democrats' are not having much of an election night ().

Ea of Dune

Oh dear Plaid better watch out as the ED's will be after that seat

Ea of dune

Britannist

Not good news for Labour (Lie-bour) - the Labour-held Plymouth constituencies are all on the Conservative target list for the next General Election.

The next EU Election is only 13 months away - some Labour MEPs and Labour MEP candidates must be getting worried about whether they will hold/win their seats in Brussels next time.

UKIP have been beating Labour in some wards in the south of England in these local elections - I wonder if that voting trend is happening in the south-west. If it is or if it does it will be good news for UKIPs prospects in the next EU Elections in the south-west/Gibraltar constituency.

Britannist

More news about yesterday's London Mayoral and Assembly elections:

Evening Standard newspaper reporter Andrew Gilligan said on London's LBC independent news Radio at 6.01 am today "Conservatives are reporting turnouts of 70% in areas where they have strong support."

Mr. Gilligan added "Turnout in the West Central London Assembly constituency is said to be between 47% - 52% - if this is true it is incredible." West Central includes some areas where voter turnout is normally not high in local elections.

"One polling station in Chingford (a Conservative-voting area) ran out of ballot papers yesterday" Mr. Gilligan said.

He also said turnout was reported to have been high in some Labour-voting localities.

Britannist

Britannist

News of the battle to get UKIP-hating europhile Labour leftist Livingstone out of London's City Hall:

"The consensus at Smithfield market is that 'Ken' Livingstone is dead meat" said BBC 2 Newsnight correspondent David Grossman (on Newsnight) on BBC 2 Television at 10.48 pm on 1.5.2008. Boris Johnson MP, the Conservative 2008 Mayoral election candidate, was shown visiting the market.

Britannist

More about yesterdays English-Welsh local elections:

The Labour vote is down 5% in Labour strongholds and is 3% down in marginal seats - constitutencies which, of course, the Labour Party needs to hold to retain power at the next General Election.