English local elections 2011

[Sibboleth]

In Chelmsley Wood, sure. It's a very, very strange place; really should have incorporated it into Brum in the 70s. But generally? Not convinced that central Brighton has much in common with (say) Becontree, Bentilee or Heckmondwike. Especially as the latter type don't seem quite so disaffected these days...

What's the story behind the Green gains in Solihull?  I know one of those wards (Chelmsley Wood) has voted BNP in the past; is it the only place to have voted both Green and BNP?

Solihull Labour made the error of becoming the junior partners to a LibDem-led administration in the borough, and so it seems that the Greens (an established receptacle for protest votes in Chelmsley Wood/Kingshurst for whatever reason: they have another councillor up for re-election next year) benefited as a direct result. The contrast with the rest of the conurbation is... er... noticeable.

[Sibboleth]

Charlemont with Grove Vale, which was quite close (Tory majority 112).

Basically an affluent Birmingham suburb, though is technically part of West Brom. Don't think it's ever gone Labour before.

[joevsimp]

In Chelmsley Wood, sure. It's a very, very strange place; really should have incorporated it into Brum in the 70s. But generally? Not convinced that central Brighton has much in common with (say) Becontree, Bentilee or Heckmondwike. Especially as the latter type don't seem quite so disaffected these days...

What's the story behind the Green gains in Solihull?  I know one of those wards (Chelmsley Wood) has voted BNP in the past; is it the only place to have voted both Green and BNP?

Solihull Labour made the error of becoming the junior partners to a LibDem-led administration in the borough, and so it seems that the Greens (an established receptacle for protest votes in Chelmsley Wood/Kingshurst for whatever reason: they have another councillor up for re-election next year) benefited as a direct result. The contrast with the rest of the conurbation is... er... noticeable.

Solihull was also(iirc) the place where the the Green Party's "Target to Win" strategy was pioneered, where all available resources are put into one basket/ward and then expand from there,


although, Having lived in three of the ten wards in B&H with Green cllrs, there's plenty of patches here and there that aren't what you'd expect, some really horrid looking blocks and some blocks that look nice on the outside but are'nt so great once you get in the big doors

[joevsimp]

In Chelmsley Wood, sure. It's a very, very strange place; really should have incorporated it into Brum in the 70s. But generally? Not convinced that central Brighton has much in common with (say) Becontree, Bentilee or Heckmondwike. Especially as the latter type don't seem quite so disaffected these days...

What's the story behind the Green gains in Solihull?  I know one of those wards (Chelmsley Wood) has voted BNP in the past; is it the only place to have voted both Green and BNP?

Solihull Labour made the error of becoming the junior partners to a LibDem-led administration in the borough, and so it seems that the Greens (an established receptacle for protest votes in Chelmsley Wood/Kingshurst for whatever reason: they have another councillor up for re-election next year) benefited as a direct result. The contrast with the rest of the conurbation is... er... noticeable.

Solihull was also(iirc) the place where the the Green Party's "Target to Win" strategy was pioneered, where all available resources are put into one basket/ward and then expand from there,


although, Having lived in three of the ten wards in B&H with Green cllrs, there's plenty of patches here and there that aren't what you'd expect, some really horrid looking blocks and some blocks that look nice on the outside but are'nt so great once you get in the big doors

e2a  the Greens have gained another cllr in Solihull, by a defection from the Lib Dems, Howard Allen in Shirley West, giving us a total of 4, only two less than Labour (wtf did they do to wind up like that?)

[Leftbehind]

In Chelmsley Wood, sure. It's a very, very strange place; really should have incorporated it into Brum in the 70s. But generally? Not convinced that central Brighton has much in common with (say) Becontree, Bentilee or Heckmondwike. Especially as the latter type don't seem quite so disaffected these days...

Brighton's a bit unrepresentative, I think, even if it is their most successful area. My point being there's plenty in the Greens' platform that could be sold to someone who'd went from Labour>BNP - if we accept there's a substantial reactionary segment in the Labour vote, that's in the past voted for their left-wing economics, despite their left-wing social stances. Depending on the candidate, I don't see why the Greens couldn't replicate that - although, as you say, not really at the same time as a resurgent Labour.

What's with the sig, btw?

[Sibboleth]

although, Having lived in three of the ten wards in B&H with Green cllrs, there's plenty of patches here and there that aren't what you'd expect, some really horrid looking blocks and some blocks that look nice on the outside but are'nt so great once you get in the big doors

I wasn't thinking in terms of affluence and so on, so much as culture; much of Brighton is quite distinct from cultural norms and this shows up in a wide range of statistics (everything from religious identity to consumer habits), which makes it ideal territory for the Greens (or, frankly, for any other radical party outside the labourist - I'm using that word in a non-pejorative sense of course - and fabian norms of left wing electoral politics in Britain). Most of the places where the BNP was (ah... how nice to write...) strong are not like that; if there was a political tradition that went against Labour norms, then it was usually submerged working class Toryism.

But here's an interesting thought. Chemsley Wood is one of the places where the last of the Birmingham slummies were dumped (the other was Castle Vale) forty years ago. The parts of Birmingham where they lived had actually taken to voting for Liberal (in reality pseudo-fascist, but that's enough of that for now) candidates in City Council (and the entirely regrettable Ladywood by-election) elections as a protest vote of sorts. So protest voting there hasn't actually come out of nowhere.

[Sibboleth]

What's with the sig, btw?

As in what's in it, or is it not displaying properly?

[Leftbehind]

No, as in, are you a Sunderland fan or summat?

[Sibboleth]

No, as in, are you a Sunderland fan or summat?

Oh yes. Very much so.

[joevsimp]

although, Having lived in three of the ten wards in B&H with Green cllrs, there's plenty of patches here and there that aren't what you'd expect, some really horrid looking blocks and some blocks that look nice on the outside but are'nt so great once you get in the big doors

I wasn't thinking in terms of affluence and so on, so much as culture; much of Brighton is quite distinct from cultural norms and this shows up in a wide range of statistics (everything from religious identity to consumer habits), which makes it ideal territory for the Greens (or, frankly, for any other radical party outside the labourist - I'm using that word in a non-pejorative sense of course - and fabian norms of left wing electoral politics in Britain). Most of the places where the BNP was (ah... how nice to write...) strong are not like that; if there was a political tradition that went against Labour norms, then it was usually submerged working class Toryism.

that's fair enough, I'd agree that you get working class greenies in Brighton at about  the same rate as working class tories in Essex, where I grew up, and I've definately got clothes I bought when I lived down there that I'd never wear back home.

 not to put things too bluntly, but IME, a lot of  the "typical" bnp voters in the Barking, Epping Forest, Thurrock etc sort of area is the kind of working class tories who voted for Labour in 97  and 01 and read the Sun, tarring with a fairly broad broad brush there, and not everyone of that discription does (especially in Romford where Andrew Rosindell with his bulldog in a Union Jack dogcoat is the MP)

Back to Chemsley wood though, the turnouts in local elections are so low that there could be hardly anyone who's voted for both, I'd guess there's mostly bnp voters going back to labour and the greens gaining labour voters who never voted bnp

[Leftbehind]

Back to Chemsley wood though, the turnouts in local elections are so low that there could be hardly anyone who's voted for both, I'd guess there's mostly bnp voters going back to labour and the greens gaining labour voters who never voted bnp

Hmm, I'd understand that if the Greens had never stood before and the Greens suddenly tapped into the Labour vote, but they stood in 2007, with it being a Labour/BNP fight and the Greens on 5%.

No, as in, are you a Sunderland fan or summat?

Oh yes. Very much so.

Interesting, so how'd that come about (presumably you're not from there)?

[Sibboleth]

not to put things too bluntly, but IME, a lot of  the "typical" bnp voters in the Barking, Epping Forest, Thurrock etc sort of area is the kind of working class tories who voted for Labour in 97  and 01 and read the Sun, tarring with a fairly broad broad brush there

I think there's some truth to that, yeah. Though Barking would be a little different, as Becontree was always (and is again, etc) solidly Labour in local elections.

and not everyone of that discription does (especially in Romford where Andrew Rosindell with his bulldog in a Union Jack dogcoat is the MP)

Pretty much everywhere in the Romford constituency is middle class suburbia, even if no one there has a degree. Which is bizarre, but quite normal for Essex for reasons that I've never entirely understood.

Back to Chemsley wood though, the turnouts in local elections are so low that there could be hardly anyone who's voted for both, I'd guess there's mostly bnp voters going back to labour and the greens gaining labour voters who never voted bnp

Chelmsley Wood is very weird, so the alternative explanation is more likely

[Sibboleth]

Interesting, so how'd that come about (presumably you're not from there)?

To cut a long story short, my Grandad was from West Durham.

[Verily]

Back to Chemsley wood though, the turnouts in local elections are so low that there could be hardly anyone who's voted for both, I'd guess there's mostly bnp voters going back to labour and the greens gaining labour voters who never voted bnp

Hmm, I'd understand that if the Greens had never stood before and the Greens suddenly tapped into the Labour vote, but they stood in 2007, with it being a Labour/BNP fight and the Greens on 5%.

Maybe they were disinclined to vote Green and risk the BNP winning in 2007, but with the BNP not looking like a threat, they switched to the Greens.

[Sibboleth]

Any suggestions of where to do next? Both in terms of those pretty series of maps like the one for Brum, or just the who-won-where things? Manchester?

[Bro-mentum]

Brighton and Hove will have to do for now..

[Leftbehind]

Council-level results gifs using the figures I posted;

Labour's share of the vote:


Tory's:


Liberal's


If someone could offer a less-limited colour palate (15 or so) for each party I could probably show the changes better.

[Leftbehind]

Actually, scrap that request, I've done it. Seems Photoshop's being a fair bit cautious on what colours is says are web applicable?!


Which party has the largest share of the vote per council and by how large a majority over main opposition (I'll probably redo these using my 15+ colour palate depending on how noticeable a difference it turns out).

[Sibboleth]

Great work and great work

[Leftbehind]

Ta.

East Midlands
Con 38.1% (+0.9%)
Lab 37.8% (+11.9%)
Lib 14.0% (-5.4%)
Ind  6.9% (-4.0%)
Grn  1.3% (-0.6%)
UKI  0.9% (-0.4%)
BNP  0.4% (-2.0%)
EDP  0.2% (+0.1%)
TUS  0.1% (+0.1%)
Lib* 0.1% (-0.1%)   
SOS  0.0% (+0.0%)    
R-A  0.0% (-0.0%)
UPS  0.0% (-0.0%)
Elv  0.0% (+0.0%)
B-F  0.0% (-0.0%)
EPP  0.0% (+0.0%)
CPA  0.0% (-0.0%)
[Res 0.1% (-0.1%)]
[AOD 0.1% (-0.1%)]
[SLP 0.0% (-0.0%)]
[S-A 0.0% (-0.0%)]
[Itg 0.0% (-0.0%)]
[OFD 0.0% (-0.0%)]

Regions;

Derbyshire          Nottinghamshire     Lincolnshire        Leicestershire      Northamptonshire
Lab 46.6% (+14.3%)  Lab 47.0% (+16.4%)  Con 47.8% (+8.3%)   Con 38.0% (+0.6%)   Con 51.0% (+4.8%)
Con 34.3% (-0.5%)   Con 30.6% (-2.2%)   Ind 25.4% (-1.9%)   Lab 37.2% (+12.5%)  Lab 30.4% (+4.6%)
Lib 13.0% (-9.1%)   Lib 13.4% (-4.8%)   Lab 12.5% (+1.8%)   Lib 19.4% (-4.2%)   Lib 10.5% (-4.9%)
Ind  3.4% (-4.2%)   Ind  6.3% (-6.2%)   Lib  8.8% (-5.2%)   Ind  2.3% (-1.8%)   Ind  4.9% (-3.0%)
Grn  1.1% (-0.1%)   Grn  1.5% (-1.4%)   UKI  2.8% (-1.4%)   Grn  1.3% (-0.8%)   Grn  0.9% (-1.2%)
BNP  0.7% (-0.2%)   UKI  0.8% (-0.5%)   Grn  1.2% (+0.3%)   UKI  0.7% (+0.1%)   UKI  0.7% (+0.5%)
UKI  0.2% (-0.1%)   BNP  0.1% (-1.5%)   EDP  1.0% (+1.0%)   BNP  0.3% (-5.0%)   BNP  0.6% (-0.1%)
R-A  0.1% (-0.1%)   EDP  0.1% (+0.1%)   TUS  0.1% (+0.1%)   Lib* 0.3% (-0.4%)   SOS  0.4% (+0.0%)
B-F  0.1% (-0.1%)   Elv  0.1% (+0.1%)   BNP  0.1% (-2.9%)   TUS  0.2% (+0.2%)   EDP  0.3% (+0.2%)
TUS  0.0% (+0.0%)   TUS  0.0% (+0.1%)   [S-A 0.1% (-0.1%)]  UPS  0.1% (-0.1%)   CPA  0.0% (-0.1%)
EDP  0.0% (+0.0%)   [Itg 0.0% (-0.0%)]  [OFD 0.0% (-0.0%)]  EDP  0.1% (-0.1%)   TUS  0.0% (+0.0%)
[Res 0.1% (-0.1%)]                                          EPP  0.0% (+0.0%)   [AOD 0.9% (-0.9%)]
[SLP 0.1% (-0.1%)]                                          [Res 0.5% (-0.5%)]
                                                            [SLP 0.2% (-0.2%)]
                                                            [S-A 0.0% (-0.0%)]

Councils;

Derbyshire:
Amber Valley        Bolsover            Chesterfield        Derby               Derbyshire Dales
Con 47.5% (-1.0%)   Lab 64.6% (+14.3%)  Lab 53.3% (+17.5%)  Lab 48.0% (+13.8%)  Con 48.7% (-2.5%)
Lab 38.5% (+9.1%)   Ind 14.4% (-17.5%)  Lib 41.0% (-13.7%)  Con 29.2% (-2.8%)   Lab 27.7% (+19.5%)
Lib  5.5% (-7.6%)   Con 11.9% (+11.9%)  Con  5.0% (-2.6%)   Lib 17.9% (-10.9%)  Lib 18.1% (-11.9%)
Ind  3.1% (+0.2%)   BNP  3.0% (-0.2%)   Grn  0.6% (-0.3%)   BNP  2.1% (+2.1%)   Ind  2.9% (-2.7%)
Grn  2.6% (+1.4%)   R-A  1.9% (-2.9%)   [Ind 1.0% (-1.0%)]  Grn  1.6% (+0.3%)   Grn  2.3% (-2.7%)
BNP  2.6% (-2.2%)   Grn  1.2% (-0.6%)                       UKI  1.0% (+1.0%)   UKI  0.2% (+0.2%)
                    B-F  1.1% (-2.5%)                       Ind  0.2% (-3.5%)
                    TUS  0.9% (+0.9%)
                    Lib  0.7% (-1.4%)
                    [Res 2.2% (-2.2%)]

Erewash             High Peak           N/E Derbyshire      South Derbyshire
Con 46.8% (-1.2%)   Con 41.8% (+2.6%)   Lab 51.9% (+15.6%)  Con 52.7% (+1.3%)
Lab 45.5% (+7.6%)   Lab 33.2% (+10.3%)  Con 33.8% (+5.0%)   Lab 47.0% (+11.0%)
Lib  4.5% (-1.8%)   Lib 14.9% (-9.9%)   Ind  8.8% (-8.8%)   Lib  0.2% (-0.7%)
Ind  2.0% (-4.7%)   Ind  5.3% (-6.6%)   Lib  5.4% (-10.5%)  [Ind 5.7% (-5.7%)]
BNP  0.6% (+0.6%)   Grn  3.8% (+3.5%)   [Grn 1.4% (-1.4%)]  [BNP 3.1% (-3.1%)]
EDP  0.3% (+0.3%)   UKI  0.7% (+0.7%)                       [UKI 2.9% (-2.9%)]
Grn  0.2% (-0.8%)   [SLP 0.7% (-0.7%)]


Nottinghamshire:
Ashfield            Bassetlaw           Broxtowe            Gedling             Mansfield
Lab 45.3% (+20.2%)  Lab 61.9% (+16.0%)  Lab 39.8% (+16.1%)  Lab 46.7% (+14.4%)  Lab 47.5% (+12.2%)
Lib 25.6% (+4.2%)   Con 34.8% (-12.0%)  Con 37.2% (+2.9%)   Con 37.9% (-4.5%)   Ind 35.9% (-12.9%)
Ind 15.6% (-12.5%)  Ind  2.1% (-4.5%)   Lib 20.6% (-6.7%)   Lib 11.3% (-4.9%)   Lib  8.3% (+1.0%)
Con 11.1% (-4.8%)   Lib  1.1% (+0.4%)   Grn  1.4% (-1.8%)   Ind  3.2% (-3.2%)   Con  6.1% (+0.2%)
Grn  1.2% (-1.2%)                       UKI  0.7% (+0.3%)   Grn  0.6% (+0.1%)   UKI  1.3% (+1.3%)
EDP  0.8% (+0.6%)                       Ind  0.2% (-4.4%)   UKI  0.2% (-2.0%)   Grn  0.5% (-2.2%)
UKI  0.3% (-0.7%)                       [BNP 6.1% (-6.1%)]                      TUS  0.2% (+0.2%)
[BNP 5.7% (-5.7%)]                      [Itg 0.4% (-0.4%)]

Newark & Sherwood   Nottingham          Rushcliffe
Con 40.1% (-2.1%)   Lab 60.4% (+18.7%)  Con 47.1% (-2.0%)
Lab 33.2% (+13.4%)  Con 25.2% (-3.8%)   Lab 29.7% (+11.5%)
Ind 18.8% (+0.2%)   Lib  9.7% (-10.3%)  Lib 15.9% (-6.4%)
Lib  7.8% (-10.9%)  Grn  1.9% (-2.7%)   Grn  4.4% (-0.9%)
[Grn 0.7% (-0.7%)]  UKI  1.6% (-1.7%)   Ind  2.2% (-1.5%)
                    BNP  0.4% (+0.4%)   UKI  0.6% (+0.2%)
                    Ind  0.3% (-0.9%)   [BNP 0.9% (-0.9%)]
                    Elv  0.3% (+0.2%)
                    TUS  0.1% (+0.1%)


Lincolnshire:
Boston              East Lindsey        Lincoln             North Kesteven      South Holland
Con 38.0% (+9.8%)   Con 43.3% (+3.5%)   Lab 45.0% (+14.0%)  Con 58.0% (+14.0%)  Con 57.1% (+11.1)
Ind 37.7% (-14.9%)  Ind 28.8% (+1.1%)   Con 36.6% (+4.0%)   Ind 32.3% (+0.3%)   Ind 39.4% (-1.6%)
Lab  9.1% (+1.7%)   Lab 17.0% (+2.6%)   Lib  8.3% (-2.1%)   Lib  4.3% (-7.6%)   Lib  1.7% (-5.3%)
EDP  7.8% (+7.4%)   Lib  5.0% (-10.9%)  UKI  7.1% (-1.1%)   UKI  4.2% (-6.2%)   Lab  0.9% (-0.4%
UKI  6.6% (+0.9%)   UKI  3.6% (+3.6%)   TUS  2.0% (+2.0%)   Lab  1.1% (+0.6%)   BNP  0.5% (-2.5%)
Lib  0.7% (-4.1%)   EDP  1.7% (+1.7%)   Grn  0.9% (-2.6%)   [BNP 1.1% (-1.1%)]  Grn  0.3% (+0.3%)
[BNP 1.0% (-1.0%)]  BNP  0.5% (-1.7%)   [BNP12.3% (-12.3%)]                     [UKI 1.6% (-1.6%)]
                                        [Ind 1.1% (-1.1%)]
                                        [S-A 0.6% (-0.6%)]

South Kesteven      West Lindsey
Con 43.3% (+3.3%)   Con 51.6% (+3.8%)
Ind 25.1% (-3.4%)   Lib 34.0% (-10.6%)
Lab 19.8% (+7.1%)   Ind  6.8% (+4.8%)
Grn  5.5% (+3.1%)   Lab  5.7% (+4.3%)
Lib  5.4% (-9.0%)   UKI  1.8% (-0.7%)
UKI  0.7% (-0.8%)   [BNP 1.7% (-1.7%)]
[OFD 0.4% (-0.4%)]


Leicestershire:
Blaby               Charnwood           Harborough          Hinckley & Bosworth Leicester
Con 54.3% (+3.8%)   Con 50.9% (+3.4%)   Con 47.7% (-6.3%)   Con 43.4% (+3.2%)   Lab 58.2% (+19.0%)
Lab 26.8% (+13.6%)  Lab 40.3% (+16.0%)  Lib 38.6% (+3.9%)   Lib 34.7% (-1.5%)   Con 19.1% (+0.1%)
Lib 15.1% (-9.3%)   Lib  6.3% (-7.7%)   Lab  8.8% (+1.4%)   Lab 21.1% (+5.9%)   Lib 13.3% (-8.8%)
Ind  3.4% (-1.3%)   BNP  1.0% (-10.0%)  Ind  3.7% (+0.8%)   Ind  0.7% (-0.8%)   Grn  3.9% (-2.5%)
BNP  0.3% (-6.8%)   Ind  0.9% (-1.3%)   UKI  1.0% (+1.0%)   [BNP 5.4% (-5.4%)]  UKI  1.6% (+0.9%)
                    UKI  0.5% (+0.0%)   [EDP 1.0% (-1.0%)]  [UKI 1.5% (-1.5%)]  Ind  1.4% (-1.6%)
                    [Res 0.5% (-0.5%)]                                          Lib* 0.8% (-1.6%)
                                                                                TUS  0.7% (+0.7%)
                                                                                UPS  0.3% (-0.4%)
                                                                                EDP  0.2% (-0.3%)
                                                                                EPP  0.2% (+0.2%)
                                                                                [BNP 3.6% (-3.6%)]
                                                                                [Res 1.4% (-1.4%)]
                                                                                [SLP 0.6% (-0.6%)]
                                                                                [S-A 0.2% (-0.2%)]

Melton              N/W Leicestershire  Oadby & Wigston
Con 54.3% (+6.5%)   Con 46.5% (+3.3%)   Lib 63.4% (+4.8%)
Lab 33.5% (+11.7%)  Lab 38.7% (+9.9%)   Con 32.1% (-6.0%)
Ind 12.1% (-16.5%)  Lib  8.8% (-4.4%)   Lab  4.5% (+2.9%)
[BNP 1.8% (-1.8%)]  Ind  4.2% (-0.7%)   [Grn 1.7% (-1.7%)]
                    BNP  1.0% (-7.6%)
                    Grn  0.7% (+0.7%)
                    [UKI 1.3% (-1.3%)]

Rutland
Con 43.9% (-6.0%)
Ind 34.0% (+17.3%)
Lib 22.0% (+6.3%)
[UKI17.7% (-17.7%)]


Northamptonshire:
Corby               Daventry            Ea.Northamptonshire Kettering          Northampton
Lab 63.6% (+19.5%)  Con 59.8% (-8.8%)   Con 66.0% (+6.5%)   Con 52.7% (-1.7%)   Con 42.6% (+12.0%)
Con 23.5% (-15.8%)  Lab 28.1% (+9.1%)   Lab 24.0% (+1.7%)   Lab 38.3% (+2.8%)   Lib 25.2% (-12.0%)
Lib 11.0% (-4.1%)   Lib  6.4% (+3.8%)   Ind  7.1% (-2.8%)   Ind  5.1% (-0.6%)   Lab 22.1% (+1.7%)
BNP  1.2% (+1.2%)   Grn  3.2% (+0.6%)   BNP  1.4% (+1.4%)   Lib  2.6% (-0.2%)   Ind  4.6% (+1.9%)
UKI  0.6% (+0.6%)   UKI  2.4% (+2.4%)   Lib  1.4% (-0.9%)   EDP  0.9% (+0.9%)   SOS  1.7% (+0.4%)
[Grn 0.9% (-0.9%)]  [Ind 7.2% (-7.2%)]  [UKI 3.1% (-3.1%)]  BNP  0.2% (+0.2%)   Grn  1.6% (-1.2%)
[Ind 0.6% (-0.6%)]                      [Grn 2.8% (-2.8%)]  [Grn 1.5% (-1.5%)]  UKI  1.3% (+1.3%)
                                                                                BNP  0.5% (-1.8%)
                                                                                CPA  0.2% (-0.1%)
                                                                                TUS  0.0% (+0.0%)
                                                                                [AOD 2.2% (-2.2%)]

So.Northamptonshire Wellingborough
Con 58.0% (+5.9%)   Con 60.1% (+7.4%)
Ind 18.0% (-12.6%)  Lab 35.2% (-0.2%)
Lib 16.9% (+8.3%)   Grn  1.1% (-0.5%)
UKI  3.2% (+3.2%)   BNP  0.9% (+0.9%)
Lab  2.4% (-1.8%)   EDP  0.9% (+0.9%)
Grn  1.4% (-0.2%)   Lib  0.8% (+0.8%)
[AOD 1.8% (-1.8%)]  Ind  0.5% (-9.8%)
[EDP 1.1% (-1.1%)]  UKI  0.4% (+0.4%)

[Sibboleth]

Labour were miles off running a full slate in some districts in the East Midlands where they do have a sizeable presence (notably in Northants; Northampton itself very much included. Organisational problems), fwiw.

[Leftbehind]

Yeah, I've noticed in the rural councils especially, Labour participation tends to vary between very patchy to almost non-existent. Just counting the last few, I seen a number of wards where if Labour had stood a third councillor they would've scooped all three, but in their absence it falls to another party & boosts their vote in the ward by a third.

[Sibboleth]

Yeah, I've noticed in the rural councils especially, Labour participation tends to vary between very patchy to almost non-existent. Just counting the last few, I seen a number of wards where if Labour had stood a third councillor they would've scooped all three, but in their absence it falls to another party & boosts their vote in the ward by a third.

It's what happens when local parties are allowed to rot away (as they were under the Blair and Brown leaderships; not the first time that such a thing had happened of course - something very similar happened during the first half of the Wilson leadership), basically. Though in many of these areas membership was always low and activists rare/elderly (and extremely left-wing as a general rule!). On the bright side, Labour managed to get a foothold on quite a few districts where they'd previous had no representation and built up decent-sized groups on some where they'd been reduced to a handful of seats (West Norfolk & Kings Lynn, say). Very much phase one of a rebuilding project though.

[YL]

Labour were miles off running a full slate in some districts in the East Midlands where they do have a sizeable presence (notably in Northants; Northampton itself very much included. Organisational problems), fwiw.

So is that the reason for the apparently disappointing Labour results in Northants (except Corby, which I suspect should be treated as somewhat semi-detached from Northants for these purposes) in the above figures?  Kettering, Wellingborough and Northampton are all places Labour had MPs in the Blair years, and all look like the Labour revival was weaker than further north.

Much of Lincolnshire also seems excessively weak for Labour, but those areas haven't had Labour MPs in recent years.

[joevsimp]

Council-level results gifs using the figures I posted;

Liberal's


If someone could offer a less-limited colour palate (15 or so) for each party I could probably show the changes better.

hmm, the only area to hold up in a big way was South Lakeland, are they esecially well dug-in there or could it have something to do with it being Tim Farron's constituency?